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THE STATES
Adamawa
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has reiterated his commitment to leaving a legacy by transforming the party.
Speaking to newsmen in Yola, Tukur said his programme of action included reconciliation, reformation and rehabilitation of the party based on equity and justice.
“I am one of those who founded the party and because of that, I felt I should come when the opportunity permits to show interest in leading the party, which I did. I am not in the job for the name or riches. For me, it is pay back, pure and simple.”
Tukur also replied people who said he was too old for the position, noting that what mattered was not years but having the ideas and ability to lead and deliver.
Bauchi
Barely 48 hours after three police officers were ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen along Bauchi-Gombe road, another police officer has been assassinated at his residence in Bauchi.
The deceased, Abdullahi Shehu, former ADC to the former Deputy Governor of the state, Abdulmalik Ibrahim, met his untimely death on Friday night when unknown gunmen invaded his Zango residence in Bauchi metropolis.
A family source said that the gunmen arrived at the residence of the deceased on a motorcycle at about 8.45 p.m. when he was having the Ramadan evening meal with some friends and relations.
The source said that one of the gunmen asked the gathering who among them was called Abdullahi, adding that the deceased then stood up to identify himself and was shot by one of the assailants. The family source added that the deceased had been buried in accordance with Islamic rite.
Benue
Chief Terkula Suswam, Managing Director, Ashitech Resource Ltd, has called on the Federal Government to map out grazing areas and animal tracks in all the states of the federation.
Suswam who made the call in Makurdi, said that if grazing areas and animal tracks were mapped out, it would go a long way in curtailing the incessant crises between herdsmen and farmers.
He urged the state government to set up committees to urgently wade into the lingering crisis between Fulaniherdsmen and Tiv farmers on one hand and the herdsmen and the Idoma farmers on the other hand.
He appealed to both the Nasarawa and Benue State Governments to beef up security in the areas that were prone to attack and implored the public to support any move by the states or Federal Government to restore peace in crises-ridden areas.
Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa on Saturday stressed the need for Muslims to uphold family values as a panacea for peaceful coexistence.
Yokowa said this in Kaduna at the seventh Ramadan lecture organised by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). The governor, represented by his Deputy Dr Ramalan Yero, his deputy, observed that family values had been relegated to the background, partly resulting in youth restiveness.
Yakowa said parents should shape the society through proper moulding of their children. He urged the Muslim community to preach for the rekindling of family values, stressing that such would go a long way to curb youth restiveness in the society.
Malam Umar Paiko, the guest speaker, spoke on the need for the Muslim Umah to embrace charity as an important virtue, urged Muslims to sustain the lessons learnt during the fasting period. He called for increased prayers for the nation.
Kano
An environmental expert, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, has stressed the need for the residents of Kano State to ensure cleanliness of the state to guarantee good health.
Mohammed, who gave the advice in Kano in an interview said that the frequency of diseases in the state was due to unhygienic environment, adding that the best way of preventing disease was through the maintenance of good hygiene.
Mohammed, however, commended the state governor for improving the sanitary condition of the state and sustaining the monthly sanitation.
“I am appealing to government agencies, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to sensitise the public on the dangers and importance of clean environment,’’ he said.
Katsina
The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over “some irregularities’’ during the conduct of the bye-election into the state assembly in Dutsi Local Government, Katsina State.
The INEC National Commissioner, Amb. Ahmad Wali, expressed the concern in Dutsi while monitoring the exercise in the area.
“I went round and met many electorates in an orderly manner at their polling units; unfortunately, there are many cases of snatching of ballot papers and boxes in some polling units; it is unfortunate. “Polling units, where ballot papers or boxes were snatched will be cancelled,’’ he said.
He said that though it might be painful to realise that results in some polling units were cancelled, voters must learn to protect their votes in future elections in the area.
Kogi
Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State has assured rural dwellers in the state of 24-hour qualitative and efficient health care delivery system as part of his transformation programme for the health sector.
Wada gave the assurance at Okpo, Olamaboro Local Government at a one-day free medical treatment organised by the state branch of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for rural communities in the three senatorial districts of the state.
The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Chief Yomi Awoniyi, said his vision for rural dwellers was one that would enable them to have 24-hour access to medical services in all cottage and general hospitals across the state.
He said that the state would employ adequate medical personnel and provide quality facilities in the hospitals as he called for inputs from the NMA on ways to improve health care delivery in the rural areas.
Kwara
Forty nine people were last Saturday prosecuted in Ilorin for violating the Kwara State environmental law. The culprits included housewives and students arrested at different parts of the state capital during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
Some of those arrested were found roaming the streets, while some were playing football on the streets, during the exercise.
The presiding Judges of the two sanitation mobile courts, Mr. Kayode Oni and Alhaji Abdulhamad Yussuf, decried the high number of people prosecuted during the exercise.
They attributed the situation to lukewarm attitude to the scheme by some residents, coupled with lack of awareness about the monthly exercise.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Chief Sanumal Bamisaiye, urged the people of the state to imbibe the culture of hygiene in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
Lagos
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of
God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has mandated all provinces of the Church to impact their host communities not only spiritually but also with visible development projects.
Pastor Joseph Obayemi, Special Adviser to the General Overseer, said this last Sunday in Lagos at the commissioning of various projects to mark the 60th Annual Convention of the Church.
Obayemi explained that the projects, ranging from construction of boreholes and a maternity, renovation of existing schools and building new ones in the community, were part of the corporate social responsibilities of the RCCG.
Niger
A member representing Bida/South in Niger State House of Assembly, Malam Bala Faruq, has donated assorted grains worth over N10 million to his constituency.
The lawmaker said shortly after distributing the food items in Bida, that the gesture was aimed at cushioning the effect of fasting on his people.
He said that 1,200 bags of rice, 200 bags of millet, 100 bags of beans, 200 bags of sugar as well as 150 cartons of milk were distributed to the people.
“Things are really bad now, poverty is biting harder now, and I want to ensure that my people do the fasting with ease,’’ he said.
Faruq appealed to the beneficiaries to use the grains and provisions judiciously, and admonished them to worship Allah and pray fervently during the holy month of Ramadan for Nigeria to be peaceful and united.
Ogun
The Ogun State Government has appointed Prof. Saburi Adesanya as the acting Vice Chancellor of the state-owned university, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye Adesanya was the former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin) Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, announced the appointment in Abeokuta in a press statement.
In the statement, Olaniyonu also announced the appointment of Mrs Omolara Osunsanya as the acting Registrar of the university. According to the statement, both appointments are with immediate effect.
Prof. Wale Olaitan and Mr Femi Oyewole, the former vice chancellor and registrar of the university were on Friday ordered to proceed on compulsory leave by the governing council of the institution.
Oyo
A medical consultant at Giwa Memorial Hospital, Ibadan Dr Gbenga Durojaiye,has urged Muslim smokers to use the opportunity of the Ramadan to quit the habit.
He warned those who smoked while breaking their fast (Iftar) that the first smoke inhaled immediately after ending the fast could be dangerous considering the state of the body at the time.
Speaking in Ibadan, Dr Durojaiye said that smoking could be dangerous for a fasting person whose body was trying to recoup after abstaining from water and food for so long.
“Smoking is the worst thing a person can do to his body, especially at iftar in Ramadan. “Those who do so and escape the risks involved must consider themselves lucky if they do not contract serious cardiovascular problem during this period,’’ he said.
Taraba
The Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State, has approved the remittance of three per cent of the total monthly subvention of councils in the state to the Taraba University.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Yahaya said this while speaking with newsmen in Jalingo.
He said that, the institution would use the funds in staff recruitment and developing infra-structure. “Initially, we demanded for five per cent remittance but the bureau insisted that our demand was practically impossible.
“We will make judicious use of the three percent in developing our young institution.”
The Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt’s College of Health Sciences, Prof Gabriel Sunday Oladipo, has underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive forensic science infrastructure, warning that the nation’s ability to investigate and solve crime is being hampered by lack of scientific data and systems.
In his inaugural lecture titled, “Man: Fearfully Different, Wonderfully Made,” delivered as part of the 207th Inaugural Lecture Series of the university, Prof Oladipo highlighted that while no two individuals are exactly the same, the country currently lacks the robust systems needed to collect and manage biological and anthropometric data that could support criminal investigations.
He explained that the natural variations among humans — from fingerprints to physical measurements — form the foundation of personal identification in forensic work. These biological differences, he said, are essential for distinguishing one person from another, especially in the context of criminal investigations where clarity of identity can mean the difference between justice and impunity. Without this scientific foundation, he argued, law enforcement agencies lack a critical tool in the fight against crime.
Experts have noted that Nigeria’s forensic science capacity has historically lagged behind needs, with only a few forensic facilities available and many law enforcement agencies struggling to access or use scientific evidence effectively. One review of the state of forensic investigation in Nigeria found that outdated facilities and limited adoption of modern forensic methods have left many cases unsolved or poorly investigated, even as crime rates rise across the country.
In Lagos, efforts to improve forensic capabilities have focused on DNA analysis, with the Lagos State DNA Forensic Centre — the first of its kind in West Africa — providing critical support for criminal investigations and helping to identify human remains, link related cases, and assist with paternity testing. However, such initiatives are yet to be replicated at a national scale, leaving many regions without access to these vital scientific tools.
Prof Oladipo’s lecture went beyond academic theory to propose concrete actions. He called for the establishment of a National Institute of Forensic Science responsible for creating and managing a nationwide anthropometric and forensic data bank. This repository, he stressed, would significantly enhance Nigeria’s capacity to track crime, assist law enforcement agencies, and improve the administration of justice by providing reliable scientific evidence for investigative and legal processes.
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening research and training in forensic science. Many Nigerian universities currently lack the funding and infrastructure to offer complete undergraduate or postgraduate programs in areas such as forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, and crime scene investigation, a gap that forces aspiring experts to rely on collaborations with institutions abroad. By fostering a research-friendly environment and securing greater support from both government and private sectors, Nigerian institutions could produce homegrown experts capable of advancing forensic science in the country.
Awareness of forensic science’s role in criminal justice remains low among the general public and even among some security professionals. Studies have shown that a significant portion of Nigerians are unfamiliar with basic forensic concepts or the existence of tools such as DNA profiling and national forensic databases — tools that are common features of criminal justice systems in countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Prof Oladipo also urged regular training and retraining programs to keep forensic practitioners updated with evolving scientific methods. According to him, continuous professional development is critical in a field where technological advances — from biometric databases to digital forensic tools — are transforming how crimes are investigated and solved.
The lecture was attended by academics, students, and professionals drawn to the intersection of science, identity, and justice, all of whom heard the professor make a compelling case for scientific innovation and institutional reform as central to Nigeria’s effort to contain crime and strengthen its justice system.
The event not only showcased Prof Oladipo’s expertise in human anatomy and forensic psychology but also positioned forensic science as a strategic national priority — one that could bring clarity to investigations, support victims and their families, and ultimately enhance public safety across Nigeria.
The University of Port Harcourt Women Association (UPWA) on Thursday staged a vibrant and memorable edition of its Annual Inter-House Sports Competition at the University of Port Harcourt Sports Village, drawing an impressive turnout of pupils, parents, staff and invited guests.
The event, organised by the UPWA International Group of Schools, brought together children from the pre-nursery, nursery and secondary sections in a colourful celebration of youth athleticism, discipline and teamwork. The arena came alive with cheers and excitement as pupils, clad in their various house colours, marched in a ceremonial parade before proceeding to compete in a wide range of track and field events, relays, novelty races and other team-based activities designed to promote physical fitness and healthy competition.
Declaring the competition open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, commended UPWA for sustaining a tradition that continues to nurture young talents beyond the classroom. He noted that sports remain a critical component of holistic education, helping to build resilience, confidence, leadership skills and social interaction among children.
In her remarks, the President of UPWA, Professor Udeme Georgewill, expressed appreciation to parents, teachers and members of the organising committee for their dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the success of the programme despite prevailing economic challenges. She described the event as a reflection of unity and collective effort within the school community.
“This is the first time White House is emerging overall winner, and that shows remarkable improvement and great sportsmanship,” she said. “We all had fun. It is not easy putting an event like this together considering the economic situation, but we are grateful to the parents for being part of this journey. The excitement everywhere is truly heartwarming.”
The competition featured spirited participation from the various houses, including Purple House, San Chicago Red House and White House, with pupils demonstrating strength, speed, coordination and teamwork. Parents and supporters filled the stands, cheering enthusiastically and adding colour to the spectacle, while teachers ensured orderliness and safety throughout the proceedings.
Professor Georgewill emphasized that the true essence of sports lies not merely in winning trophies but in participation and personal growth. “Sports is not just about winning. It is an avenue for growth, discipline and opportunity. The fact that a child is able to participate is already a win. Losing this year does not mean you cannot win next year. Keep trying,” she encouraged, urging pupils to see both victory and defeat as stepping stones to greater achievements.
She further observed that while there are many competing interests in the Nigerian sports sector, consistent grassroots investment remains essential for discovering and nurturing future champions.
The colourful ceremony culminated in medal presentations, trophy awards and group photographs, with UPWA executives, including Vice President I, Professor Adedamola Onyeaso, joining the participating teams to celebrate the day’s achievements.
The annual inter-house sports competition continues to stand as one of UPWA’s flagship events, reinforcing its commitment to balanced education, character formation and the promotion of healthy lifestyles among its pupils.
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