Nation
THE STATES
FCT
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), says it has commenced a nationwide training of police personnel on fundamental human rights.
This is contained in a statement by its Director, Public Affairs, Muhammad Ladan, in Abuja recently.
It stated that the training was being conducted in 14 centres across the country, noting that it embarked on the training following a request by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar.
The statement said the NHRC Executive Secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe, explained that the police officers were being trained on fundamental human rights as contained in Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Kano
Gunmen have attacked Hausawa-Danmaliki Primary School in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
Our correspondent said that three teachers, including the headmaster were injured during the incident.
A witness said the incident took place around 8.30 a.m, adding that the attackers arrived in the school shortly after some of the teachers reported for work.
“’Nobody can tell whether the gunmen were on tricycle or not but I just heard the gunshots,’’ he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Police Command, Mr Magaji Majiya, confirmed the incident.
Kaduna
Kaduna State Government has urged the National Boundary Commission to resolve its land ownership dispute with the Kano State Government.
Governor Mukhtar Yero made the call in Kaduna when the Directors-General of NEMA, NOA, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and the National Boundary Commission, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House.
The visit was to intimate the governor on a three-day workshop on “Peace Building and Conflict Management for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’’ which took place in Kaduna recently.
Yero said the resolution of the land controversy in the border towns of Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and some parts of Kano State had become necessary to end the conflict once and for all.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Ministry of Education has begun, the transfer of some students in boarding schools as part of measures to de-congest the institutions.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Muhammed Maiyama, told newsmen in Benin Kebbi that the exercise would create an enabling environment for easy learning.
He also said that more teachers would soon be recruited for the schools.
Also, the Principal of Dr Amina Abubakar Government Girls’ College, Birnin Kebbi, Hajiya Suwaiba Salihu, said already, the school received 500 students from Government Girls’ (Unity) College, Birnin Kebbi.
Kwara
The Acting Commandant, Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC) , Brig.-Gen. Sunday Adebayo, says the corps will continue to pay priority attention to the training of its officers.
Adebayo made this known in a lecture he delivered at the NAEC first quarter conference at the Nigerian Army Cantonment, Sobi, Ilorin.
He said his vision for the NAEC was to rejuvenate the corps for better performance of its roles in support of the Chief of Army Staff vision.
According to him, the mission of the Education Corps is to plan and execute the Nigerian Army programme of education in liberal, scientific and doctrinal studies.
He said further that NAEC was to manage service educational establishments and training support facilities as required for the professional excellence of the army.
Lagos
National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), says it is collaborating with Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and Nigeria Institute of Public Relations to address the issue of quacks in marketing.
The Chairman of Ikeja Branch of NIMN, Mr Babatunde Akinsanya, told newsmen in Lagos that the council was poised to restore the old pride of the profession.
He said that the professional image of the institute had been shattered in recent times by the influx of unqualified professionals.
“The council is aware of companies and individuals parading themselves as marketing professionals.
“Very soon it will not be business as usual for the unqualified marketers in the country.
Ogun
The Ogun Stte Government has restated its commitment to transparency and accountability in its revenue generation drive.
The state Commissioner for Forestry, Mr Ayo Olubori, who made the remark at a news conference in Abeokuta, added that the state was determined to block all avenues of revenue leakages to enable its residents enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Olubori, who was reacting to the recent attack on the state’s toll point at Ogere-Remo, in Remo North Council Area, said that the ugly incident would not force the government to abandon the toll point.
He recalled that the state government recently introduced an automated system for payments of fees concerning forestry operations in its bid to block leakages.
Osun
Osun council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) said that it had set up a machinery to identify and flush out fake journalists from the media practice in the state.
The Chairman, Mr Abiodun Olalere, told newsmen in Osogbo that his office had been inundated with reports about fake journalists prowling in the state.
He promised to bring the culprits to book in no distant time.
He said the council had distributed membership forms to its chapels with a view to registering authentic members.
The NUJ chairman said that arrangements had been made to ensure that chapel leaders compiled only the names of practising journalists with recognised media employers.
Olalere said as part of the measures to nip quackery in the bud, the NUJ leadership had begun registration of members for a life insurance scheme.
Oyo
A 27-year old Amos Akinbosoye has been arraigned before an Ibadan Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
The prosecutor, Insp. Olookoba Bola, told the court that the defendant seriously assaulted a police officer, Adigun Olufemi, by tearing his uniform while performing his lawful duty at a traffic point.
Bola also said that the wrist watch valued at N1,500 belonging to another police officer, Onen Bassey, was also damaged during the process.
Bola added that the incident happened during an alleged reckless driving by the accused in a Mercedes Benz car with registration No AZ 88 FKJ.
Plateau
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, has advocated for the extension of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service to two years, to allow for military training.
“The youth corps members are supposed to receive military training for a year so that when they are through, they can be useful to the society, “ Jang said during a courtesy visit by the Minister of Youths Development, Mr. Inuwa Abdullahi.
Jang said that one year service was not enough, therefore, “we need to re-evaluate it and improve on it to include proper military training“.
He criticised the situation whereby after the service, youths had nothing, adding that it called for proper counselling.
Sokoto
Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi, former Chairman of Isa Local Government in Sokoto State, has advised members of the National Working Committee of PDP to reconcile with aggrieved members of the party.
Abdullahi told newsmen in Sokoto that reconciliation with the members nationwide would ensure the party’s victory in 2015 elections.
He said “ the task ahead of the leadership is to set in motion political machinery that will bring back those who have left the party for one reason or the other”.
Abdullahi explained that the move would enable the party to ‘’practically and politically confront the opposition in future elections’’.
Taraba
The Taraba State House of Assembly has set up a five-man committee to investigate the Chief Medical Director of the state’s Specialist Hospital, Prof. Aliyu Zakari, for revealing the health condition of Gov. Danbaba Suntai.
Zakari had in an interview with one of the national dailies said that Suntai had developed a brain injury that impaired his ability to speak and “makes it extremely difficult for him to return to duty anytime soon”.
Speaking on the floor of the House, the Deputy Speaker, Mr Abel Diah, said that Zakari, as a civil servant, had no right to grant interview without permission from appropriate authorities.
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.