Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa Government last Tuesday distributed 31 motorcycles to district and village heads to monitor ongoing government projects in their areas.
Speaking at the occasion, the Project Manager of Local Apprenticeship Scheme, Alhaji Sani Jada, said the distribution of motorcycles was aimed at encouraging village heads to monitor government projects in their respective areas.
He said: “I wish to state that the motorcycles are meant for the supervision of Local Apprenticeship Scheme training activities and other government projects in your respective districts.’’
He warned against the use of the motorcycles for other purpose, adding that government would not hesitate to retrieve them and assign them to more serious person.
Bauchi
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has appealed to religious, traditional and political leaders in Northern Nigeria to take urgent steps to re-build the region currently being ravaged by insurgency.
He made the appeal when he met with former President, Court of Appeal, retired Justice Mamman Nasir, in Bauchi, Tuesday.
According to him, the leaders have the responsibility to restore lasting peace by identifying the main causes of the insurgence that has devastated the development of the entire region. Earlier, Nasir said the religious, traditional and political leaders had been disturbed by the lingering crises that had assumed communal and ethno-religious dimensions.
Borno
Gunmen last Sunday shot dead Malam Murtala Mohammed, a lecturer at the Mass Communication Department of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) at his residence in Maiduguri.
According to Eyewitnesses Mohammed was shot at his 202 Housing Estate, opposite the university campus.
Also speaking, Malam Yusuf Ibrahim, a neighbour of the deceased, said the victim appeared to have been trailed by his killers from the university campus before coming to his house. Ibrahim also said the killers fled immediately after shooting the deceased severally at close range.
FCT
Malam Mohammed Garba, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, was on Sunday elected the new President of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ).
According to a release in Abuja on Monday signed by Mr Joseph Mutah, the Press Secretary to the Minister of Information the election took place at the third Congress of the Federation, which ended in Casablanca, Morocco, on Sunday.
“Garba had earlier been elected into the nine-member Steering Committee of the continental body, which unanimously elected him to lead the group for the next three years,’’ it said.
The statement said Mrs Louisa Rogerio from Angola was elected the Vice President, while Mr Stanislas Nkundiye from the Democratic Republic of Congo bagged the post of Treasurer. It said that 73 delegates from 28 countries voted during the election.
Kaduna
The National Youth Leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr Obadia Haruna, has blamed “intruders bent on disintegrating Nigeria” for the worsening security situation in some parts of the North.
Haruna made the observation on Tuesday in Kaduna at a unity forum organised by an NGO, Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation of Nigeria.
The CAN youth leader observed that the current violence and insecurity in the region had caused major set backs to the social and economic growth of the nation. The leader of the NGO, Pastor Yohana Buru, said the gathering was meant to bring together Muslims and Christians in the divided city to promote unity, love and understanding.
Kano
Local farmers in most parts of Kano State have started clearing their farms in readiness for this year’s planting season.
Farmers in Rimin Gado, Gwarzo and Kabo local government areas of the state, had commenced the clearing exercise about two weeks ago.
Investigation showed that some of the farmers who had completed the clearing of their farms had since been bringing local manure to their farms.
Farmers who travelled to some parts of the country in search of greener pastures during the dry season (popularly known as Ci Rani) had also started returning home.
Katsina
No fewer than 900 victims of last year’s flood disaster in Sandamu Local Government Area of Katsina State have shared N11.3 million as assistance by the Federal Government.
The Special Adviser to the state governor on Community Development Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, stated this while distributing the donation to the victims in Sandamu, Tuesday.
Yusuf said the amount was part of the N300 million released to the state by the federal government to assist last year’s flood victims in addressing some of their problems.
The Caretaker Chairman of Sandamu local council, Alhaji Sani Sabo, said the victims had earlier received relief materials from the state and local governments, as well as Non Governmental Organisations and philanthropists.
Kogi
Victims of the 2012 flood disaster in Kogi have rejected the offer of N3, 000 compensation from the state government, describing the gesture as inadequate.
The flood, which affected nine local government areas of the state, destroyed more than 500 houses and rendered15,00 residents homeless.
Some of the victims said that they were paid N3, 000 compensation on Thursday by a team of government officials at LGEA Primary School at Gadumo, Lokoja.
Among the victims were Mr Zacheus Momorebe, Mr James Oguche, Mr Suleiman Ogidi and Mr Olaitan Ayorinde, who claimed to be landlords.
Kwara
The Catholic Bishop of Ilorin Diocese, the Most Rev. Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, has urged the three tiers of government to do more for the citizenry to ensure their well-being.
Atoyebi who made the appeal in an interview on Monday in Ilorin urged governments at all levels to embark on people-oriented programmes.
“Most of the political manifestoes and electioneering promises remain unfulfilled and many projects unimplemented. “Government exists for the welfare of the people, and as such, they are to cater for their common good and lift them up socially,’’ he said.He advised the political class to be honest and desist from acts capable of causing division among the people.
Ogun
Members of the various PDP factions in Ogun last Monday, held a closed-door reconciliatory meeting at the hilltop residence of former Olusegun Obasanjo.
Those who attended the four-hour meeting were Chief Segun Oni, a former PDP National Vice-Chairman, South-West, Sen Jubril Martins Kuye, a former Minister of State for Finance and Chief Sarafa Ishola, a former Minister for Mines and Steel Development.
Kuye told newsmen that the development was part of the moves to reposition the party ahead of the 2015 General Elections and that the intra-party crises had caused a lot of setbacks to the party in the state,
He said that it was necessary for elders of the party to come together and “mend broken fences”, to move the party forward.
Oyo
The Oyo State government said on Monday that its urban renewal programmes were geared toward safeguarding and empowering the people.
The Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Cooperatives, Mr Adebayo Olagbenro, said in an interview in Ibadan that to ease the hardship of the traders, the government had put in place temporary and permanent palliatives to further boost socio-economic development
He said that ownership of shops in the new complexes was not too rigid as they had been constructed on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) flexible payment module, for different business categories.
‘’We are poised towards aiding business development at all levels and not killing businesses as some people wrongly want to believe,” the commissioner said and called for patience on the part of the citizenry, saying that the ongoing restructuring in the state would be beneficial to all.
Plateau
The University of Jos will graduate 7,946 students, including nine in first class division, at its 26th convocation on Saturday April 6.
The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai, who made this known when he briefed newsmen on Tuesday, said 613 students graduated with second class upper degrees.
“Out of the total number of grandaunts, 50 will be awarded doctorate degrees, 491 will receive master’s degrees, 67 will have postgraduate diplomas.
Mafuyai said that the university had made landmark achievements in the academic year, adding that one of the major achievements was that it became an ICT-driven institution.
Yobe
Water and sanitation projects are to be commissioned in 256 communities in Yobe under the 10th European Union Development Fund (EDF.
The General Manager of Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Malam Mohammed Bukar, who disclosed this in Damaturu said that 256 rural communities would be provided with water and sanitation facilities under the 10th EDF intervention.
The manager said that under the programme, European Union will provide 70 per cent of the funds, Yobe government 18 per cent, while local governments of the communities would provide 12 per cent.
Bukar said that the programme would promote clean water supply and storage, household cleanliness and the culture of hand washing among women and children.
Zamfara
Vice President Namadi Sambo says the Federal Government will establish 100 “Almajiri” Special Schools across the nation as part of its efforts to prevent street begging.
He stated this in Gusau, Zamfara , on Sunday at the end of the week long National Qur’an Recitation Competition.
According to Sambo, the schools when fully established, will promote both Islamic and western education among school-aged children who are now roaming the streets.
He stated that although the schools would be built across the country, a larger number would be established in the northern part of the country.
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.