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
Bikers, Others Grace Burial Of Rivers Philanthropist
Bikers were among prominent dignitaries who recently attended the burial ceremony of late Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor (née Lawson) in Omagwa Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The burial service, held at the St. Martin’s Anglican Church field, attracted a large turnout of religious leaders, business executives, political figures, celebrities, bikers’ groups, traditional rulers and community members from different parts of Nigeria. Also present were the Bishop of the Anglican Province of the Niger Delta, Most Rev. Blessing Enyindah, and popular businessman and socialite, Obi Cubana, among other notable personalities.
The remains of Mrs Grant Offor, a respected professional, philanthropist and devout Christian, were laid to rest amid an elaborate and well-coordinated funeral ceremony that reflected her wide-reaching influence and the high regard in which she was held by family, associates and the larger community.
The ceremony drew public attention due to its unique logistics, as two helicopters were deployed. An air ambulance helicopter conveyed the casket to the church field, while another helicopter transported members of the deceased’s family from Abonnema to Omagwa Community.
Dignitaries and mourners gathered in large numbers to pay their final respects.
In an emotional tribute, High Chief Engr. Grant Offor, described his late wife as everything to him, stating that her passing had created a deep void in his life and in the lives of their children. He disclosed that he committed his time, resources and efforts in a bid to save her life, adding that if money or human effort alone could prevent death, she would still be alive.
Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor was born on May 4, 1978, at the Ibiso Maternity Clinic, Port Harcourt, and passed away on November 15, 2025, after a prolonged illness that lasted nearly three years. She was born a twin and grew up in a family noted for service and leadership. Her father, the late Engr. Benoni Lawson, served as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), while her mother, Mrs. Irene Lawson, is a nurse.
She attended Port Harcourt Primary School and International Secondary School (ISS) before proceeding to the University of Science and Technology (UST), Port Harcourt, and later the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, where she studied Accountancy and graduated with honours. She was widely known during her academic years for her discipline, focus and reserved lifestyle.
After completing her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, Mrs. Grant Offor began her professional career in the banking sector, including service with the defunct All States Trust Bank, and later worked in other professional capacities. She earned a reputation for integrity, diligence and ethical conduct.
She was married to Engr. Grant Offor for over 20 years, a union blessed with three children. As a wife and mother, she was described as deeply devoted to her family, instilling values of faith, patience, kindness and discipline. Her home was known among close associates as one built on prayer, love and godly counsel.
A committed Christian, Mrs. Grant Offor was known for her strong faith and love for gospel music, particularly songs of healing and deliverance. Even while receiving specialist medical care in the United Kingdom, she reportedly remained steadfast in her belief, trusting in God until her final moments.
Adding to the show of solidarity, the President of the Rivers State Chapter of the Pantas Female Bikers Group, Mr. White Timano, disclosed that High Chief Engr. Grant Offor is a major sponsor of Uyo Micah’s Carnival, one of the group’s major events. He said bikers and supporters travelled from Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta States to commiserate with the family and show support during the period of mourning.
Mr. Timano described death as inevitable and encouraged the family to remain strong, stressing that only God grants the grace required to endure such painful loss.
The church field was tastefully decorated, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere. The burial ceremony featured hymns, live music, scriptural exhortations, eulogies and tributes celebrating the life and legacy of Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor. Messages from notable personalities highlighted her contributions to family life, philanthropy, professional service and community development.
On behalf of the family, High Chief Engr. Grant Offor expressed appreciation to all who stood by them throughout the period of mourning, thanking guests for their prayers, presence and support.
The burial ceremony stood as a testament to the enduring legacy of Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor, whose life of service, faith and quiet generosity left a lasting impact on many across Rivers State, the Niger Delta and beyond.
Nation
Security Guard Missing After Fence Demolition In PH
Asecurity guard has been reported missing following the demolition of a fence at a property located at No. 19D, Golf Course Layout, Old Government Residential Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The incident reportedly occurred late Sunday night at the disputed property said to be owned by Ozone Global.
Eyewitnesses revealed that a group of men, some of whom were dressed in what appeared to be naval uniforms, arrived at the premises on motorcycles and allegedly pulled down the fence surrounding the property.
During the incident, a security guard on duty, identified simply as Abubakar, was allegedly taken away by the group to an unknown destination.
A relative of the missing guard, Musa, said efforts to get immediate help, including alerting a nearby police point, proved abortive as the incident had already occurred before any intervention could be made.
“I escaped because I noticed them early, but my brother was taken away. Up till now, we don’t know where he is or how he is doing. We are appealing to the authorities to help locate him,” Musa said.
Meanwhile, one of the intermediaries involved in the land transaction, Mr. Chimezie Bright, alleged that the incident may be connected to an ongoing land dispute over the property.
Bright claimed that the land was purchased by Ozone Global from one late Mr Felix Orie and that documents from the Rivers State Ministry of Lands and Housing indicate that the land was allocated to Mr Orie.
He further alleged that another claimant to the land, Mr. Mac Oruche, had allegedly challenged the ownership and opposed development on the property, despite the matter being the subject of a court case.
According to Bright, tensions over the property had previously resulted in disagreements during attempts to fence the land.
“We carried out due diligence before the purchase, including verification at the Ministry of Lands. However, the dispute has persisted,” he said.
Bright expressed concern over the alleged involvement of uniformed personnel in a civil land dispute and called for a thorough investigation into the incident, particularly the whereabouts of the missing security guard.
As at the time of filing this report, Abubakar’s location had remained unknown.
Efforts to reach Mr. Mac Oruche for his reaction were unsuccessful, while the police are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Nation
OIU Protests Arrest Of Witnesses In Okon Aku Crisis Probe
The apex socio-cultural and development association of the ancient Ohafia Kingdom, the Ohafia Improvement Union Incorporated (OIU) has formally petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, expressing grave concern over the arrests of several individuals from the Okon Aku community who were cooperating with a state-constituted Panel of Inquiry investigating the recent communal crisis in the community located in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.
The union also called for the immediate release of those arrested.
In a letter dated February 6, 2026, and received at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, the union described the arrests as troubling and procedurally irregular, noting that the affected individuals had either testified or were preparing to testify before the government-sanctioned panel.
Those reportedly arrested include Udo Ukoha of Ndi Envoke; Okereke John, Udonsi Obin, Eteo Ayo, Idika I. Kalu, and John Ukwakwe of Ndi Owom; and Ukpabi Uche Idika of Ndi Ebin.
While emphasizing that it does not seek to prejudge the legal culpability of any individual, the OIU stressed that the timing, context, and manner of the arrests could undermine the credibility, independence, and integrity of the Panel of Inquiry.
“The arrest of individuals cooperating with an official inquiry poses a serious threat to the fact-finding process, creates fear among potential witnesses, and may discourage public participation,” the union stated, warning that such actions could obstruct efforts to uncover the root causes of the crisis.
The union further noted that panels of inquiry rely heavily on voluntary and truthful cooperation, and any action that instills fear in contributors risks eroding public confidence in the justice system, violating principles of fairness, transparency, and natural justice.
Consequently, the OIU urged the Office of the IGP to immediately review the circumstances surrounding the arrests, suspend any further actions perceived as targeting witnesses, and issue clear directives to guarantee the safety and freedom of all individuals participating in the inquiry.
The President General of Ohafia Improvement Union, Chief Prince Kalu Ikpemini, signed the petition, which was also copied to the Executive Governor of Abia State and the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, Umuahia.
The union reiterated that the Ohafia community desires lasting peace and reconciliation, which can only be achieved through a transparent, fair, and uncoerced investigation into the Okon Aku crisis.
The Okon Aku communal crisis erupted in early January 2026, prompting the Office of the Deputy Governor of Abia State to immediately establish the Panel of Inquiry to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the conflict, with the aim of preventing future occurrences.
It is against this backdrop that the Ohafia Improvement Union has raised an alarm over the arrests, calling for the immediate release of those detained and emphasizing the need to protect witnesses rather than intimidate them.
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