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THE STATES
Gov. Samuel Ortom Of Benue State (left), welcoming the Primate, Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Most Rev. Nicholas Ukoh, during the visit of Bishops of the communion to the Governor in Makurdi, recently
Adamawa
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in
Adamawa, Alhaji Yamusa Shuaibu, said the governor may appoint more than 20 commissioners into the state executive council.
Shuaibu who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Yola, said the action was to give a sense of belonging to every constituency in the state.
Shuaibu who did not give the total number of nominees in the list, said 10 slots were reserved for technocrats.
He explained that the decision to have technocrats in the cabinet was in line with the recommendations of the State Transition Committee.
“The list consisted of 10 technocrats; there are some ministries that need to be handled by the technocrats, if we are to progress,” Shuaibu said.
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has distributed 72 motor
cycles and assorted improved seedlings to Agricultural Extension Officers and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in order to boost food production in the state.
Dr Illiyasu Gital, Programme Manager, Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP), made this known on Sunday in Bauchi in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
Gital explained that 50 of the motorcycles were purchased by the state government, while the Federal Government donated 22.
He further explained that the motorcycles donated by the Federal Government were allocated to the sub-zonal offices, to be used by extension officers.
Ekiti
The Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti,
Prof. Isaac Asuzu, said contractors handling projects for the new universities were largely responsible for the slow pace of development of the institutions.
Asuzu stated this in Oye-Ekiti when a team of journalists monitoring the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) projects in tertiary institutions visited the university.
He said contractors handling various projects have been delaying giving one excuse or the other in spite of the huge sums that were being released by TETFund.
The VC expressed the determination of the new universities to develop fast and meet up with their counterparts as well as attain global standards.
FCT
An Abuja Federal High Court has granted bail to former
Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, his son, Sen. Abdulazeez Nyako, and two others, charged with N40 billion fraud by EFCC.
The accused were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday and remanded in its custody, pending the hearing of their bail application filed by their counsel, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN).
The trial judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, while delivering ruling after hearing arguments from defence counsel Agabi and EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacob (SAN), granted the four accused bail in the sum of N350 million each.
Chukwu also ordered that each accused person must provide two sureties or alternatively, one surety who must be a director in any Federal Government establishment.
Jigawa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),
Jigawa Command, has said it had arrested a syndicate that specialised in stealing goats in Birnin-Kudu Local Government Area, Jigawa.
The Commandant of corps, Malam Muhammad Gidado, told newsmen in Dutse that seven members of the syndicate were arrested at their hideout in Rumbun Wuya, near Birnin-kudu.
Gidado said the suspects were arrested for stealing a goat belonging to Malam Kanku Wuroji of Rumbun Wuya village.
He said the suspects confessed to be members of a gang that had been terrorising members of the community.
Kaduna
The Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese in Zaria,
Kaduna State, Rt. Rev. Ali Buba-Lamido, has advocated death penalty for corrupt public office holders.
He made the call at the Sixth Synod of the Wusasa Diocese of the Anglican Communion, held in Zaria, Kaduna State.
According to him, the death penalty option is the only way to put public officers in Nigeria in check.
Buba-Lamido said the call became imperative in view of the fact that corruption could kill more people than a conventional weapon.
“If our leaders know that they would be prosecuted if found corrupt they would be on their toes to avoid corrupt practices,” he said
Lagos
The Federal Government is collaborating with the UN
Special Envoy on Global Education to ensure security in all schools in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, disclosed this in an address he delivered at the annual Speech and Prize -Giving Day ceremony of King’s College Lagos.
The permanent secretary, who was the special guest of honour at the event, said the collaboration was aimed at providing a pragmatic response to the protection of schools.
He added that it was also to prevent future attacks in schools across the country.
According to him, the initiative is equally in a bid to ensure uninterrupted education for the Nigerian-child.
Niger
The Niger Government has declared curfew in Paiko
Local Government Area of the state following a violent clash between Hausa and Gwari youths that left one person dead.
This is contained in a statement signed on Saturday by Dr Ibraheem Dooba, Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello.
The statement urged the citizens to be law abiding, eschew violence and demonstrate the abiding peace for which the state was known for.
Our correspondent learnt that aside the one person that was confirmed dead, many people were injured as cars and buildings were also destroyed.
Ogun
A university lecturer, Dr Dapo Odukoya, has urged the
new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acting Chairperson, Mrs Amina Zakari, to emulate and sustain Prof. Attahiru Jega’s legacy.
Odukoya, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ijebu-Ode last Sunday.
He said Jega had not only raised the bar for INEC in the preparation and conduct of elections in the country, but also served with integrity and sincerity of purpose.
He added that “Jega’s INEC must be scored high for political neutrality and integrity.
Plateau
A Jos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr
Garba Pwul, has urged federal and state governments to step up efforts in curbing insecurity in the country.
He made the call in an interview with newsmen in Jos.
He said government needed to do more in checking the increasing number of attacks on innocent Nigerians by insurgents.
The legal luminary was reacting to Sunday’s planting of bomb in ECWA Church in Tudun Wada, near Federal Secretariat, Jos, by unknown persons.
Pwul condemned the action in strong terms.
He said “even though the problem has been rooted over time and no one expects a miracle to happen overnight or expects a sudden seizure of violence and insecurity, there should be proactive and stringent measures toward tackling the menace.
Taraba
The Deputy Controller in charge of Jalingo Prison in
Taraba State, Mr John Ali, has appealed to Governor Darius Ishaku, to assist in the relocation of the prison.
Ali said there was need to move the prison to a more spacious and conducive environment within the state capital.
The deputy controller, who made the call when he addressed newsmen in Jalingo, said the present location of the prison had been swallowed up by urbanisation.
He expressed regrets that there were residential structures surrounding the prison which was built about 99 years ago.
He said relocation of the prison to a spacious environment would enable its management to embark on better rehabilitation and reformation programmes for the inmates.
Ali noted that due to the constraint of space, the prison which ideally had capacity for 250 inmates, was currently housing over 600 inmates.
Yobe
Yobe Emergency Management Agency has disbursed
N61.8 million to 87 traders who lost their properties to insurgency and fire outbreaks.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Alhaji Musa Isa, while disbursing the money in Damaturu, said 87 persons affected by fire disasters and insurgency attacks in 2014 and early this year benefited from the assistance.
He said the assistance was intended to provide succour to victims of the disaster to re-engage in their trades.
Musa advised other victims and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to be wary of fraudsters selling forms purportedly issued by SEMA for similar assistance.
Alhaji Muhammadu Kalli, chairman, Damaturu Local Government Council, advised beneficiaries to invest wisely into their businesses.
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.