Nation
THE STATES
FCT
The Census Tribunal on Tuesday in Abuja validated the 2006 enumeration figure of Charanchi Local Government Area of Katsina State as declared by the National Population Commission (NPC).
The council had earlier dragged the commission before the Census Tribunal ‘A’ alleging that some of its localities were not captured by the enumeration officials during the 2006 National Population and Household Census.
It also alleged that the population figure of 136,989 declared for the area was grossly inaccurate and urged the tribunal to void the figure.
The council further submitted that the commission’s witness, Mr Simon Gonley, was not competent and that his testimonies were based on ‘hearsay’, adding that he was not physically present in Katsina State during the census.
The tribunal validated the figure in its judgment based on the failure of the council to tender evidence with regards to the localities it alleged were not enumerated.
Gombe
The Gombe State Government last Tuesday said it would upgrade facilities at the Gombe airport to international standard.
Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure Alhaji Shehu Ahmed, said in Gombe that the government would key into the current efforts of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to access funds for the project.
He said that the funds would be utilised to remodel the airport’s terminal building, provide an operational cargo terminal and cold stores for preservation of perishable goods for export.
“We want what will give Gombe the status of being truly an international airport, not a mixture of arrival and departure but things you see in an international airports in terms of character and design.
“Our aim is to make the state a real commercial and tourist destination, considering its central location in the North East sub region. “ he said.
Ahmed said the focus on air transport was because of its safety and reliability, as well as timely movement of people and goods for enhanced economic services.
Jigawa
Chairman, Nigeria Association of Pensioners, Jigawa chapter, Alhaji Abdullahi Tsoho, on Tuesday commended the state government for its support to the pension fund scheme.
Tsoho said in Dutse that the gesture had facilitated effective implementation of the pension fund in the state.
He said that government had demonstrated commitment to ensuring prompt payment of its contribution to the scheme.
“In the last six years; the state government has been paying its contribution as at when due with more than N16 billion in its coffers.
“It also adopted proactive measures to improve the wellbeing of pensioners in the state,” he said.
The chairman said that the association was working in collaboration with the state government to sensitise its members to enhance effective pension administration.
Tsoho urged workers to ensure proper documentation in line with the civil service rules to avoid encountering problems in the payment of their benefits after retirement.
Kaduna
A legal practitioner, Mr Christopher Danjuma, on Tuesday said children who were abused by their parents, government, individuals or institutions have a right to sue for compensation.
Danjuma, of Noble Crest Solicitors, Kaduna said in an interview that the rights of children were clearly enshrined in the Child Rights Act and were enforceable.
He noted that a lot of children were being trafficked, abused and denied certain basic rights, saying that such children have the legal mandate to seek for compensation.
Danjuma commended the activities of some non governmental organisations championing the cause of children and advised children being abused to seek the assistance of such organisations. He urged parents to believe in their children and guide them to attain their full potentials in life, adding that excessive control and denial of rights would only affect the children negatively.
Katsina
Faskari Local Government of Katsina State has distributed hand washing facilities to primary school pupils to encourage personal hygiene among residents.
The Chairman of the council’s Transition Committee, Alhaji Isiyaku Ahmad, handed over the items on Tuesday in Faskari as part of the ongoing Maternal and Child Health Week.
He said personal hygiene was necessary to the promotion of community health and urged parents and teachers to inculcate the habit in children.
In a related development, wife of the Chairman, Musawa Local Government of the state, Hajia Rabi Kira, has embarked on a tour of the area to sensitise rural women on nutrition and hygiene.
She said that the tour, followed the success of a similar one on immunisation. According to her, rural women deserve to be educated, especially on diet and nutrition as well as environmental sanitation.
Kebbi
The National Association of Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Owners in Kebbi, has secured a N15.7 million loan for disbursement to its members, the state Chairman, Alhaji Bagudu Mohammed, has said.
Mohammed said in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that the loan was obtained from a commercial bank and was meant to assist the association members to boost their business.
The chairman said no fewer than 100 registered members who fulfilled the bank’s conditions would benefit from the loan.
“The association obtained the money from a commercial bank, so we must ensure that the bank’s conditions are all met so that we will not be seen as defaulters in case we seek for more assistance,” he said.
The chairman disclosed that the association had in the last two years provided financial assistance amounting to N650,000 to the families of some of their deceased members.
Kogi
Kogi State Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi, has said that the state would exploit the opportunities offered by the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Project in Niger State.
In statement issued in Lokoja on Tuesday by his Press Secretary, Mr Michael Abu, the deputy governor said, power supply in the state will be boosted when the project is eventually inaugurated.
He said that the 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Project was good for the transformation of the power sector.
Awoniyi said that the state was in partnership with the Federal Government and Niger State Government to ensure that Kogi benefitted immensely from the project.
“The completion of work on the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant will help boost power generation in Kogi.
Lagos
British Council Nigeria on Monday restated its commitment to protection of Nigeria’s children from abuse, exploitation and negligence. The council said in statement to mark 2013 Children Day that it was important to create “child-safe environment” in Nigeria communities.
According to the statement, child protection involves taking steps to safeguard children from all forms of abuse. It also expressed the council’s preparedness to safeguard and promote children’s welfare in Nigerian communities
“Many children experience abuse every day from people they know and trust. The situation threatens their survival, development and participation in society. “We at British Council Nigeria are therefore, campaigning for lasting change to ensure that children are safe and protected.
Ondo
Five men on Monday died in a motor accident along Akure- Ogbese road. Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Sunday Ajayi who, confirmed the accident on Tuesday in Akure, said that the accident was caused by dangerous over-taking .
Ajayi said that the accident involved a trailer with the registration number Abuja XA 397 GWL and a Volkswagen Jetta marked Lagos AV 800 KSF.
He said that the corpses of the victims had been deposited at the state Specialist Hospital, Akure while the two occupants of the trailer survived the accident.
Ajayi advised motorists to exercise patience on the road, adding that over-taking was not a quick and safe way of driving.
Plateau
The President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Monday urged the Federal Government to increase the level of attention given to the Nigerian child.
Kaigama said in Jos at the Children’s Day Anniversary that the level of attention given to the welfare of the Nigerian child left much room for improvement.
He said that he had always insisted that the family, school and places of worship were strategic areas for the formation of children.
Kaigama said the institutions were better-placed for moulding the character of children while government should provide the environment by meeting the needs of schools.
Zamfara
A Gusau Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded one Rabo Muhammad, 36 of Daki Takwas area of Anka Local Government in Zamfara, for alleged conspiracy and culpable homicide.
The prosecutor, Mr Tiokulus Danjuma told the court that on May 12, this year, one Muhammad Kirwa of the same address reported the case at Jangebe police outstation.
Danjuma said that about two months ago, the accused person with two others now at large, entered the complainant’s apartment and shot his younger brother, Manu Kirwa, to death.
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.