Nation
THE STATES
Ekiti
The Police in Ado-Ekiti have arraigned seven men in an
Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court on a three count charge of alleged murder, theft and assault.
The police prosecutor, Mr David Erinma, told the court that the accused committed the offence on August 13 at Oke Ayedun-Ekiti. He gave the names of the accused persons as Ojo Kolawole, Owolabi Ojo, Onipede Taiwo, Ogunlusi Yemisi, Abayomi Abiodun, Kupoluyi Sola and Femi Ajiboye.
Erinma alleged that the accused attempted to murder one Mrs Grace Audu by inflicting grievous injuries on her body in a manner likely to endanger her life.
FCT
The Women and Children Economic Development Centre
in Jikwoyi, Abuja, last Thursday said it planned to support 3,000 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in the FCT.
Orphans and Vulnerable Children Officer, Mr. Henry Akani, told newsmen that most of the OVC were identified by the heads of the communities where the organisation worked.
He said most of the children were from Jikwoyi, Karu, Karshi, Kurudu and Nyanya communities in the outskirts of the FCT and disclosed that the organisation visited its beneficiaries biweekly at home and in their schools, to support them with their needs.
Kano
The Kano State Government has approved N461 million
for the construction of Hawan Ganji-Badari Road in Gwarzo Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Umar Jibrin, announced this when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the meeting of the state Executive Council in Kano last Wednesday.
Jibrin said that the council also approved N157 million for the erection of street lights on Sharada and Sheikh Jafar roads in the metropolis as well as N53 million for the training of 2,200 traditional birth attendants.
Katsina
Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State has sacked two
commissioners in a minor cabinet reshuffle.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Press Affairs , Alhaji Abdulhamid Danjuma, the affected commissioners are those of Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Maikudi, and Women Affairs, Dr Asma’u Abdullahi.
The statement said the governor had also moved the Commissioner for information, Alhaji Gide Sani, to the Ministry for Water Resources while Alhaji Hussaini Garba was moved to Information from Health.
Others re-deployed include commissioners for water resources and that of youth and sports, Alhaji Jamilu Danmusa and Alhaji Mannir Talba, who moved to environment and health ministries, respectively. It also said that the Commissioner for Environment, Aminu Safana, would now be in charge of youths and sports.
Kwara
Six commercial motorcyclists were last Thursday
remanded in prison by an Omu-Aran Upper Area Court in Kwara over alleged destruction of FRSC properties in the community.
The accused were arraigned on a five-count charge of conspiracy, trespass, mischief, obstruction of public servants from performing their lawful duties as well as assault and intimidation.
Those that appeared in court are Bayo Babatunde, 28; Samuel Adebayo, 32; Kehinde Samuel 19; and Kolawole Lekan, 23. Others are Chinedu Mudekalu, 30; and 25-year-old Oyinloye Kazeem.
The prosecutor,Insp Adeola Adeboye, said the motorcyclists numbering more than 50 and led by Babatunde stormed the office on Sunday and beat up one Fasusi Olamide, an officer of the FRSC.
Adeboye said the offences contravened sections 97, 348, 327, 148, 267 and 397 of the Penal Code.
The judge, Mr Mustapha Adegboyega, ordered the accused to be remanded in Omu-Aran Medium Prison and adjourned the case to October 8.
Lagos
Deputy Editor in-Chief and Head of the Lagos office of the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Dele Bodunde, has commended women as good organisers who could be trusted with leadership positions.
Bodunde spoke while receiving a delegation of women journalists from the Cameroon on a working visit to Nigeria, at the agency’s Lagos office recently
The women journalists were led on the visit by Mrs Dupe Olaoye, chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos Chapter.
He noted that women in NAN had equal opportunities as their male counterparts, and had been trusted with crucial positions, including being the agency’s foreign correspondents.
Earlier, Olaoye said they were in NAN to acknowledge the contributions of the agency and its recognition of the place of women in national development.
Nasarawa
The National Human Rights Commission last Wednesday
said it would partner with the Nasarawa State Government to tackle security challenges in the state.
Director of Conflict, Ethics and Good Governance of the commission, Mrs Tina Nwodu, said this while exchanging views with Mr. Sani Yakubu-Awa, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in Lafia.
She said that the commission was concerned about the loss of lives and destruction of properties taking place in the state, noting that crisis caused all kinds of abuses on law-abiding citizens, with children and women being the most affected victims.
Nwodu explained that the group would meet with the community and women leaders, market associations and youth groups to discuss on peace and unity of the people of the state.
“Crisis does not just erupt, it has traces, and early warning responses will assist to get first hand information for it to be nipped in the bud,” she said.
Niger
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said the
establishment of the new University of Education, Minna, would tackle the dearth of qualified teachers in public schools.
Aliyu made the remark after signing the bill on the State University of Education into law that establishes the new university at the Government House, Minna.
He said the new university would take off from the site of the College of Education, Minna and would produce the needed teachers in the state.
In his remarks, the Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Usman, said the assembly passed 30 bills from 2007 to date.
Usman said the law on the specialised university empowered the government to set aside at least two per cent of its budget for the funding of the university.
Ogun
The Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Mr.
Suraj Adekunbi, said that the state government would continue to ensure even spread of development projects across the state.
Adekunbi said in Abeokuta last Thursday that government would not discriminate against any senatorial district in the provision of infrastructure, and added that the legislature would continue to support the executive in order to bring the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
“The project at hand is Ogun State project; we have to do our best as legislators to cooperate with the executive without any manipulation. When there is good relationship between the legislature and the executive, the result will be obvious for people to see,” he said.
The speaker urged individuals and organisations in the state to promptly pay their taxes to the appropriate channel to enable the government fulfill its own obligations.
Osun
The police in Osogbo last Wednesday arraigned four
suspected armed robbers in an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly being in possession of firearms.
The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Joshua Oladoye, who gave the names of the accused persons as Adejuwon Ismail, 32, Adebiyi Tunde, 23, Abayomi Adekande, 22 and Onoh Johnson, 25, told the court that the accused were caught with firearms on August 8, at about 12:40 p.m. at Ilesha Breweries area in the Ilesha West Local Government Area of Osun.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, while their Counsel, Ms Modupe Olanrewaju, applied for their bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like sum. He adjourned the case to October 23 for mention.
Oyo
The Chairman, Iseyin Local Government Council of Oyo
State, Alhaji Saheed Yusuff, said the tuberculosis (TB) centre being built in the area was to tackle the spread of the disease.
Yusuff, who spoke last Thursday on the sidelines of his inspection tour of the centre, said the project would cost the council about N10 million.
He said it, was important for government at all levels to curb the spread of the disease and manage those suffering from it adding that the centre located at Oke-Aro Isalu area of Iseyin metropolis would be one of the best in the country when completed.
The chairman expressed optimism that the centre would not only serve the purpose of treating TB patients, but also develop into a research centre.
Yusuff also said a maternity centre was under construction at Oke-Oja area, adding that it was important to take health- related issues seriously.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.