Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Programme Manager, Bauchi State Agricultural
Development Project, Dr Iliyasu Gital, recently advocated enhanced recruitment, training and deployment of extension workers to boost the country’s agricultural sector.
Gital said in Bauchi that poor agricultural extension service was affecting the national food security and the agricultural transformation agenda of the present administration.
He described the extension service as “very poor and low’’ because the ratio of farmer per extension officer stood at one extension officer to about 10,000 farmers.
The programme manager said that it was only in Bauchi State that the ratio was one extension officer to about 1,000 farmers.
He said those trained were currently training farmers and some agents that were not opportune to attend the training sessions.
Benue
The Principal of Government College, Makurdi, Mr Godfrey
Ugudu, has said the school had received letter from Boko Haram sect threatening to attack the school.
Ugudu, who announced this at a news conference in Makurdi and added that the school received two letters which had the same content on May 14.
“The two letters, which were written in pidgin English, were sighted inside one of the classrooms and the second one was slipped into the staff room’’, he said.
The principal commended the government and security operatives in the state for their prompt response to the issue, adding that he had informed the Principal of Mount Saint Gabriel.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Dan Ezeala, confirmed the report and assured that police were on top of the situation.
Borno
The Borno State Government last Sunday said it had
sponsored 50 students to India on irrigation agriculture.
A statement by Malam Isa Gusau, Special Adviser to Governor Kashim Shettima, stated that it was part of the state government’s approaches to fight the menace of insurgents.
The statement stated that the students left Nigeria for India on Saturday on board an Ethiopian airline in Abuja.
It stated that Governor Kashim Shettima addressed them at Ogbeh farms in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Shettima said the beneficiaries were selected across the 27 local government areas of the state for even spread and disclosed that the trainees were to undergo a three-week train-the-trainers course on irrigation equipment installation, effective utilisation and maintenance.
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State last
Saturday appealed to abductors of female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State to release them.
Dankwambo made the appeal in Gombe while speaking at the inauguration of an organisation, ‘Talba-Neighbour-to Neighbour’ to provide poverty alleviation materials to the less privileged persons in the state.
The governor called on the abductors to release the innocent girls to reunite with their families.
“I, on behalf of the government and people of Gombe State, call on whoever that abducted the Chibok girls to release them. “The girls are innocent; they should be released and the abductors should come out and talk if it is somebody’s fault,” he said.
Jigawa
The Kafinhausa Local Government Council in Jigawa State
last Saturday inaugurated a Special Task Force to mobilise people to participate in polio immunisation.
The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Balo Tambale, made the announcement at a meeting with the committee members in Kafinhausa, the headquarters of the council.
Tambale, who is also the chairman of the committee, said that membership of the committee was made up of community and religious leaders as well as health workers.
He named other members of the committee to include representatives of the police and non governmental organisations.
Tambale said that the committee was to mobilise people, ensure effective monitoring and supervision of the exercise in the area stating that the council would also reward any community leader who recorded the highest coverage in the next round of immunisation in the area.
Kano
Local councils election holding in Kano State has recorded
low turn out of women in parts of the state. Areas affected include Unguwar Gano and Unguwar Fulani in Tarauni Local Government Area and some parts of Na’ibawa in Kumbotso Local Government.
Some of the residents said they did not allow their wives to come out to vote for fear of violence during the election.
One of them, Malam Saminu Bala, however, said he would “monitor the situation” before allowing his wives to come out to vote.
The situation is similar in Gwale Local Government Area, where the Information Officer of the council, Hajiya Amina Dankadai, confirmed the low turnout of women in polling units across the area.
However, local governments like Gwarzoo and Ungogo had recorded large turn out of women, who were seen patiently waiting in queues, to cast their vote.
Lagos
A new cable television network to “advance the cause of
the Catholic faith in Africa, Europe and parts of Asia is to hit the airwaves on May 22.
The station, known as Lumen Christi, located at Km. 15 on the Lagos-Epe Expressway at Lekki, Lagos, is to transmit free-to-air programmes, produced by various Catholic parishes in Nigeria and other African countries.
The Proprietor of the network, Mr Robert Olagunju, said the station would transmit its programmes in English with sub-titles in French and occasionally in Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili and Pidgin.
Olagunju, a Catholic faithful, said that he built the station to commemorate his 50th birthday and to show gratitude to God and humanity.
Olagunju said that the station would among other programmes, offer religious cartoons for kids as well as faith sessions, to be anchored by priests and other religious people.
Nasarawa
Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, last Sunday
donated N8 million to some farmers affected by communal clash in four local government areas of the state.
The governor, who also donated relief materials such as foodstuff, mattresses and ground-nut oil, had visited the victims in Doma.
The communities that benefited included Idada, Abaabu, Tachia and Jangaru, all in Doma, Obi, Keana and Awe Local Government Areas of the state.
Al-Makura said that the donation was to provide relief to the affected persons to enable them resettle, adding that the welfare of the citizens of the state was his priority.
The governor also assured residents of adequate security, saying and stressed the need for residents of the state and all Nigerians to be united and to live in peace with one another.
Ogun
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Ogun State
last Saturday, warned motorists to exercise caution and drive carefully during the rainy season to prevent accidents.
Sector Commander, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, gave the advice in an interview in Abeokuta and said that the warning became necessary because the rate of road traffic accidents was always high and worrisome during the rainy season.
“During the rainy season we have a lot of road crashes because drivers, especially the commercial drivers, fail to do those things that they are expected to do to make their vehicle road worthy.
“I want to advise our drivers to always pull off the road for safety when there is poor visibility during down pour,’’ he said.
The sector commander advised the motorists to maintain the normal speed limit stated in the Highway Code.
“It does not mean that when an official of the FRSC tells you that you have a limit of 100 kilometres per hour, you must stick to it; the weather condition should determine your speed. “The Ogun command will continue to sensitise the people at various motor parks and other places across the state to safety tips and the need to drive carefully this period,’’ he said.
Oyo
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed
Indabawa, recently in Ibadan urged various communities in the country to engage in community policing.
Indabawa, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Bisi Clet-Ilobanafor, said this during the 5th Anniversary Lecture on Road Accident Information and Rescue Organisation with the lecture “Developing an Effective National Security.’’
Indabawa said that community policing was the collaboration of the community members with the police to ensure that the society was free of crime.
He said that the police could not achieve any meaningful success in crime prevention without the support of the community.
In his remark, Mr Okanlawon Bamgboye, National Executive Coordinator of the Community Policing, said that the objective of the lecture was to look at the present security challenges in Nigeria and the way forward.
Sokoto
Senator Ahmed Maccido ( PDP-Sokoto), said last Saturday
that he had built five Information, Communications and Technology ( ICT) Centres with N250 million.
Maccido, who represents Sokoto Central Senatorial District, said that the centers were established in Sokoto South, Sokoto North, Kware, Binji and Tangaza local governments to encourage youth in the constituency to be ICT literate.
He said in Sokoto that all the centres had been fully equipped and made operational.
“These centres will help in training the teeming youths from the constituency, as the ICT is now the vogue globally. “ The gesture is aimed at making them employable, while most of them will be transformed into employers of labour,” he added.
L-R: Deputy Director, Department of Security Service (DSS), Mrs Marilyn Ogar, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade and Force Public Relations, Mr Frank Mba, at the news conference on security in Abuja, yesterday.
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.