Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa Director of Diseases Control, Dr L.C Barka, on Thursday confirmed the outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Lamurde Local Government Area of the state.
CSM is a dangerous epidemic and endemic, febrile disease, characterised by inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, giving rise to severe headaches, tenderness of the back of the neck, paralysis of the ocular muscles, etc.
It is sometimes marked by a cutaneous eruption, when it is often called spotted fever. It is not contagious.
Barka told newsmen in Yola that the outbreak was recorded in Rugange and Gyawana villages of the area.
The director said that 29 persons were affected, out of which five were confirmed dead.
“We have already dispatched a medical team to the affected villages to contain the situation and the report we have now is that things are under control.”
Benue
The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Makurdi, Bishop Nathan Inyom, has challenged the church to lead the crusade against corruption in the country.
Inyom told the newsmen in Makurdi that it was important for the church to enlist its members in the fight against corruption.
He said the call had become imperative owing to the high level of corruption in the country.
According to Inyom, the church with a large follower-ship, and which spans the social strata, is better positioned to tackle the menace of corruption in the country.
The cleric stated that the job was too much to be left in the hands of the anti-graft institutions.
Borno
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has approved the employment of 200 fresh graduates into the state civil service.
Malam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communications, announced this on Wednesday in a statement in Maiduguri.
Gusau said the recuitment would involve qualified university and polytechnic graduates.
“Governor Kashim Shettima has given a go ahead to the Borno State Civil Service Commission to recruit 200 fresh graduates into the service.
“Those to be recruited will include both university and polytechnic graduates.”.
Gusau explained that the gesture was aimed at reducing graduate unemployment in the state as well as fill existing job vacancies in the service.
FCT
First Lady Patience Jonathan has stressed the need for Nigerians to unite “to tackle the security challenge in some parts of the country.’’
She made the call in a statement signed by Mr Ayo Osinlu, her Special Assistant, Media, in
Abuja.
The statement, which was her message to commemorate the Easter celebrations, urged Nigerians to unite, irrespective of their differences to assist the government and security agencies to tackle the challenges.
She said: “Christians should continue to do good to all and embrace peace, selflessness, tolerance and truthfulness.
“Nigerians must unite, irrespective of their religious, political, ethnic or tribal differences to assist the government to tackle the security challenge in some parts of the country.’’
The president’s wife urged Christians to “seize the opportunity to reflect on the essence of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the Cross of Calvary to bring salvation to mankind and ensure it is not in vain.’’
Gombe
Health officials in Gombe and Akko Local Government Councils in Gombe State on Tuesday said that they have solved the problem of resistance to application of polio vaccines in six wards of the councils.
In Gombe council, the Immunisation Officer, Malam Abdulraham Mohammed, told newsmen that areas with high resistance cases such as Shamaki, Bolari West, Nasarawo and Pantami had been successfully settled.
Mohammed said no single case of non compliance was recorded in the areas due to the intervention of the ward committees, comprising traditional and religious leaders, who prevailed on parents to allow their children to be immunised.
“For example, in Shamaki Ward, the District Head, Alhaji Usman Mohammed, marked the houses that resisted the immunisation and they were revisited immediately and they complied,” he said.
Jigawa
The Commissioner of Police in Jigawa, Mr. Kayode Theophilus, on Thursday in Kazaure warned that any policeman caught extorting motorists would face the full wrath of the law.
Theophilus gave the warning during an interactive session with officers and men of the Police and members of the Police Public Relations Committee drawn from Kazaure zone.
He described as “embarrassing to police leadership” the attitude of some policemen who continue to collect N20 bribe from motorists.
He said the command would no longer condone such attitude, warning that anyone caught would be seriously sanctioned.
Kaduna
The Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the Kaduna State Government to investigate the causes of post-election violence in the state has received over 120 memoranda.
Co-chairman of the committee, Air Vice Marshal Ishaya Shekari, disclosed this in Zaria, while fielding questions from newsmen.
“People have really responded. So far, we have received over 120 memoranda from the public.
“Don’t be surprised that the figure may rise to 200 before the end of the exercise.
“We are impressed with the level of compliance by the public, and we hope to come out with good and workable recommendations at the end of this exercise,” he said.
Lagos
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Thursday called on the Federal Government to float a national carrier to eliminate fare discrepancies among foreign airlines.
The Deputy President of NUATE, Mr Samuelson Aturu, made the call while speaking with newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
He said that Nigeria needed a national carrier to protect its interest in the global aviation industry, in spite the various flag carriers operating into the country,
He called for the establishment of a competitive commission to regulate the operations and fares of the mega carriers operating into the country, adding that such commission existed in other countries.
Aturu, however, condemned the mega carriers, especially British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airlines, for charging what he called “cut throat prices” in Nigeria, in spite the country’s huge market.
Ogun
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Ogun Command, Abdulmajeed Alli, has donated items worth over N300, 000 to the Stella Obasanjo Orphanage in Abeokuta in remembrance of his late daughter.
The items included foodstuff, baby pampers, soaps and medicare materials, among others.
Alli told newsmen that the gesture was part of his late daughter’s vision to encourage the less-privileged and also set up an orphanage before her untimely death.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Home, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Aderonke Adeyokun, thanked the donor on behalf of the children..
Plateau
The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Plateau has distributed 2,000 crates of eggs to hospitals and clinics to improve the nutritional quality of pregnant women and children.
The Commisisoner, Mrs Olivia Dazyam, told newsmen in Jos that the eggs were from the state government’s egg mop-up programme following a glut of the commodity this year.
She said that it was only the Northern Senatorial zone that had so far benefited.
Dazyam said that more eggs would be purchased in the mop-up initiative, and blamed the glut on security challenges facing the state.
She said that poultry farming had been a major occupation of many people in Plateau, and that the decision to intervene was a social service to minimise losses by farmers and encourage them to stay in business.
“Many farmers have so much eggs in stock and we felt that we should not allow the eggs to just waste away,” she said.
Sokoto
Chief Chaise Ejemeka, the leader of Igbo community in Sokoto State, has called on the security agencies to work out modalities to flush out those behind the spate of terrorism in the country.
“There is a need for the security agencies to adopt security measures to apprehend those involved in these deadly acts, Ejemaka told newsmen in Sokoto.
He stressed the need for the security agencies to provide an enabling environment for Nigerians to go about their normal affairs without harassment or intimidation.
“This will only be possible through a well coordinated security approach,’’ he said.
Ejemaka urged Nigerians to be watchful and report any suspected character to the nearest security agencies for prompt action.
The Igbo leader stressed the need for training and re-training of security officers to update their knowledge on how to tackle the current security situation in the country.
Yobe
The Yobe State Government plans to construct four dams before the end of the year to promote irrigation in the state, Alhaji Idi Gubana, the Commissioner for Agriculture, has said.
Gubana, who disclosed this in Damaturu while fielding questions from newsmen, said that feasibility studies on the projects had reached an advanced stage.
He explained that government was concentrating on dam construction to supplement rain-fed agriculture.
“Government is working hard to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
“The amount of rainfall in the state has been unreliable in sustaining agriculture so, government is placing emphasis on irrigation farming,” Gubana said.
The commissioner noted that 400 boreholes had been constructed across the state for irrigation farming this season.
“Irrigation farmers in the state were provided with fertiliser and improved seeds. I am happy to say that wheat, rice, maize and vegetables harvest were good and promising.’’
Meanwhile, a hungarian company is to establish tomatoes cottage factory in Gashua, the commissioner said.
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.