Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has graduated 289 students at its fifth convocation ceremony held last Saturday in Yola.
Speaking at the convocation, the President of the university, Prof. Margee Ensign, said that the university since its inception nine years ago had centred on community-based services and development.
She said the university was committed to helping the community and society achieve equitable and sustainable prosperity, and disclosed the university’s sustainability initiative was one of its many developmental projects.
On the insecurity in the country, Ensign said that the university had attained a meaningful development where it had become a major sponsor of peace initiative groups, including the popular Adamawa Peace Council.
She explained that the group was assisted with a view to fostering peace and harmony in the state and in the region. “The goal is to assist young people to acquire the knowledge and skills, needed to work or start their own small businesses,” Ensign said.
FCT
Residents of EFAB Estate in Mbora District, Abuja, have lauded the remedial work on a deep gully caused by excavation work in the area.
Sammyal Construction Company was awarded contract by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to build infrastructure at Mbora District, close to EFAB estate.
It was said to have abandoned the site after excavating the terrain and clearing shrubs and trees which later caused gully erosion in the area.
A resident, Mr Obed Amazu, commended the company and the FCDA for coming to the aid of the residents.
Another resident, Mr John Shamaki,commended the government for addressing the environmental challenge which threatened more than 60 families.
Shamaki said the gully would have escalated if nothing had been done, noting that some residents had relocated to other parts of the FCT due to the threat posed by the gully.
The managing director of the company, Mr Sammy Adigun, said the company had to fill the ditch as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Adigun said the people needed to be assisted because the provision of infrastructure is for the people to live comfortably.
Jigawa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa, on Thursday arrested three randy commercial motorcycle operators for alleged sexual abuse of two minors.
The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Muhammad Gidado, told newsmen that the suspects were nabbed after they allegedly had canal knowledge of two teenage girls in Birnin Kudu.
He claimed that the suspects (names withheld) had enticed the girls with gifts and money to have sex with them. ‘’We are not bringing rape charges against the suspects because the girls were not forced to consent to sex. ‘’Based on investigation, beside the suspects, the girls admitted having sex with other men,’’ he said.
According to him, the suspects have admitted to having sexual intercourse with the minors on several occasions.
The commandant added that preliminary medical check up at the General Hospital, Dutse, indicated that the girls’ virginity had been tampered with over long period of time.
Kano
More than 249,858 children under five years of age have been immunised against polio and other childhood killer diseases in Fagge Area Council in Kano Municipal, an official said on Saturday.
The Health Coordinator of the Council, Hajiya Fatima Mohammad, said last Saturday in an interview that the exercise would make it possible for more children to be immunised considering that the people had accepted the programme through mass sensitisation by the council.
‘’The large turnout in the previous exercise was the outcome of the state government’s commitment to eradicate the childhood killer diseases in all the area councils of the state. “Fagge keyed into this objective and got this great result from the last exercise,’’ she said.
The coordinator said that Fagge Council was always collaborating with major stakeholders, such as district and ward heads, parents as well as health officials and other ad hoc staff.
Kwara
The Kwara State Committee on Flood Disaster and Rehabilitation has began advocacy visits to flood-prone areas to persuade the people to vacate river banks. The committee’s chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Dabarako, is leading the group on the visit that started on Friday in Shonga in Edu Local Government Area.
Dabarako, who is also the Head of Service of the state, urged the monarch to assist in persuading residents to vacate river banks and move upland before heavy rain sets in.
The chairman said the advocacy visit had become imperative in view of the warning by the Federal Government that the nation will witness heavy rains in 2013.
Responding, the Etsu Shonga described the havoc created by 2012 flood in his domain as devastating, and thanked the state and the federal government for providing immediate succour to the 2012 flood victims in the area.
Lagos
Chief Maxi Okwu, who emerged National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), at the party’s national convention held in Awka, Anambra, on April 8, has faulted INEC’s recognition of Chief Victor Umeh as the new Chairman of APGA..
Okwu said in Lagos last Saturday that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s recognition of Umeh was unacceptable to the party.
However, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu on April 7, restored Umeh as the National Chairman of the party after he was previously restrained from parading himself in that capacity by an Enugu High Court on February 10.
INEC on May 9, intervened in the crisis, recognising Umeh as chairman of the party.
Nasarawa
Governor Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State has given assurance that those fanning the embers of violence in the state will not go unpunished.
The governor gave the assurance in a statement issued on Sunday in reaction to the killing of 30 policemen at Alakyo village by the Ombatse militia, said “The state government will not watch while some disgruntled individuals hold it to ransom and turn the state into theatre of death, undermining the development efforts of this administration.”
“We have had enough bloodshed in Nasarawa, those who are hell-bent on sabotaging our efforts will not go unpunished. “It is unfortunate that some people still perpetrate evil against their fellow human beings at a time when the state has begun to count the gains of democracy. “The crisis has no religious colouration as been speculated by some section of the media; some people are just bent on destroying the state because they feel they are not in power,” he said.
Niger
Gov Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has dissociated himself from posters depicting him to be seeking the PDP presidential ticket for the 2015 election.
Aliyu distanced himself from the posters in reaction to the news of the seizure of the posters by security agents in Kaduna, at a one-day North Central Zonal Security Awareness Workshop in Minna.
The governor said that he had not ordered anyone to produce any poster for him and that he had no intention of doing so yet, adding that as a loyal member of the party, he would abide by the party’s guideline of June 2014 deadline before making any pronouncement of my political ambition.
Aliyu said he had earlier on ordered the removal of the posters of governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers and Sule Lamido of Jigawa, which flooded the state about a week ago, in keeping with the party’s directive.
Ondo
More civil servants in Ondo State have offered to retire voluntarily from service as a result of the on-going staff screening embarked upon by the government to expose “ghost’’ workers.
The Head of Service, Mrs Kosemani Kolawole, said last Thursday in Akure that the screening which kicked off in the 18 local government areas of the state had led to the discovery of 6,000 junior “ghost’’ workers and 3,500 senior “ghost’’ workers.
Kolawole said that the government conducted the screening when it realised that many workers had falsified their ages to remain in service beyond their normal retirement age.
She said that the government had discovered that some local governments officials had inflated leave bonuses by N310 million, adding that instead of N540 million they request for N850 million annually.
According to her, workers who came in through the back door will go, while those who have attained 60 years of age will also leave to allow the injection of new blood into the service.
Osun
The Osun Government has directed its ministries, departments and agencies to replace old number plates on official vehicles with new ones without further delay.
Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, gave the directive in a statement in Osogbo last Saturday.
The new number plate is bearing the re-branded official designation of the state, “Land of Virtue.’’
The secretary also directed all those having governor’s office vehicles with old number plates to contact the Department of Special Services in the Bureau of Cabinet and Special Services.
“This is with a view to exchanging the old number plates for the new official number plates,’’ the statement directed.
Plateau
The National Zoological Garden Jos on Saturday organised a special and unique 50th birthday party for two chimpanzees popularly known as ‘Bobby and Paulina.’
Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monument ( NCMM), Mr Yusuf Usman, said that the birthday was the first of its kind in Africa.
Usman who was represented by Mrs Caroline Ezeokeke, Curator, National Museum, Jos said that there was the need to develop consciousness to protect animals and for them not go into extinction.
Director, Monument, Heritage and Sites of NCMM, Dr Areo Biodun,said that the essence of the celebration was to accord the two animals the respect they deserved by being among few lucky ones in the world that lived that long.
Director, Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) University of Jos, Prof. Naomi James-Rogu, in her remarks commended the management of the zoo for taking good care of the animals.
James-Rogu, a Professor of Zoology, advised the management of the zoo to organise a Zoo Week to educate students and the general public about animals.
She pledged the cooperation of the university in partnering with the zoo in providing the necessary assistance it might require.
Timothy Nyam of the Plateau Tourism Cooperation presented a paper entitled “Unity and Conservation”.
Yobe
The PDP in Yobe State has said that the defection of some politicians from the party to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) will not affect the party’s fortunes in the state.
The PDP chairman, Alhaji Lawan Karasuwa, said in a statement on Friday in Damaturu that the politicians left the party because they failed to actualise their personal and selfish programmes.
Some PDP chieftains, including former members of the National Assembly, former deputy governor and several others, defected to ANPP on Thursday.
The statement, however, said the exit of the politicians had resolved the internal squabbles within the party, adding that their exit would go a long way in repairing the damage done to the party.
The statement also emphasised the party’s support to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. “The party is very proud of the abundant dividends of democracy provided by the Jonathan administration,’’ it stated, adding that PDP is unwavering in its commitment and readiness to ensure the party’s victory in the state.
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.