Nation
THE STATES

Governor Muhammed Abubakar of Bauchi State (left), receiving budget report from the Chairman of Budget Review Committee and the State Head of Civil Service, Mr Abdon Gin in Bauchi, yesterday.
Bauchi
Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Nuhu Gidado, says youth
restiveness would be given priority in the life of this administration in the state.
Gidado stated this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
“There is no two ways about it, we will go into the issue of youth restiveness from day one.
Beyond youth restiveness, Gidado said, security of lives and property will also be accorded priority because without security, without peace, we cannot operate,” He said.
He said the new administration would explore the potentials of the traditional institutions in the state, by allowing it play its role to ensure the security of lives and property.
Ekiti
A 34- year- old driver , Adefisayo Ademola, has been
arraigned in an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly stealing a Toyota Picnic valued at N1.3million.
The prosecutor, ASP Isah Atanegbe, told the court that the accused person and one other now at large, stole the vehicle, with registration No. REL 358 AA, property of one Mr Segun Albert.
Atanegbe said that the accused committed the offence on June 20, 2015 at about 7 a.m. at Ayus Hotel, in Akure.
According to the prosecutor, the offence is contrary to Section 383 and punishable under sections 516 and 390(9) of Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
FCT
The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai,
recently hinted that his administration’s vision would be partly anchored on the dedication and discipline of officers and soldiers.
Buratai said this when he formally took over from his predecessor, retired Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, as the 20th Chief of Army Staff in a brief ceremony held at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.
Though the new army chief did not make further comments about his vision and mission for the army, he assured his predecessor that the present level of discipline would be maintained.
Buratai praised his predecessor for leaving behind a reformed army that was again the pride of the nation.
He said the military under his command would strive to sustain the achievements of the previous army administration and even surpass them.
Gombe
Chief of Tangale in Gombe State, Malam Abdu Maisheru,
has stressed the need for communities in the state to organise forum to appraise mid-term performance of their political representatives.
The monarch made the remark in Biliri recently during a lecture organised by Mr Rambi Ayala, a member of Gombe State House of Assembly, representing Billiri East constituency.
Maisheru, who was represented by Mr Naamn Toyyo, the district head of Todi, said that such forum would enable elected political office holders to give account of their stewardship.
He specifically urged the people in his domain to create the forum for the assessment of the performance of their representatives at the state Assembly.
The monarch cautioned against blackmail and campaign of calumny against political office holders and urged his people to always engage in constructive criticism.
Kaduna
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has solicited
the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to strengthen healthcare services in the state.
El-Rufa’i, who made the call when he received officials of the World Bank in his office, said healthcare delivery remained a priority of the administration.
He disclosed that the government would forward a bill to the state House of Assembly to streamline activities of its Primary Healthcare Development Agency for effective service delivery.
The governor pledged that the administration would redeem its counterpart obligation to all donor agencies and intervene decisively in areas where resistance was recorded in polio immunisation.
Kebbi
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations
Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Kebbi State, has urged people in the state to desist from indiscriminate felling of trees, bush-burning and conversion of farmlands to filling stations.
The state coordinator of the agency, Malam Haliru Muhammad, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
According to him, such acts increase the menace of deforestation and desertification.
He said that government at all levels were exerting more efforts towards afforestation because of its benefit to the environment and human beings.
He urged citizens to emulate government by planting trees as well as encourage the growing of gardens in their courtyards and around their houses.
Lagos
The Director, Muslims Right Concern (MURIC), Prof.
Ishaq Akintola, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address the problem of overcrowded prisons and enhance the living standards of the inmates.
Akintola, who made the plea in his Ramadan message in Lagos, said Nigerian prisons were notorious for being overcrowded, dirty, and unfit for human habitation.
“Contrary to international best practices, the Nigerian prison system has become an institution for the devaluation of Allah-given fundamental human rights,” he said.
The director felicitated with the leader of Nigerian Muslims, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) for the Sallah celebration.
Nassarawa
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has cau
tioned its graduate trainees in Nasarawa State, against engaging in acts capable of rubbishing the scheme.
NDE Director-General, Malam Abubakar Mohammed, gave the warning on Friday in Lafia at the end of a one week training programme “Graduates Attachment Scheme (GAP).”
No fewer than 50 unemployed youths in the state took part in the training, which was on a special accounting software “Peachtree.”
Represented by the agency’s Director of Special Public Works, Mr. Monday Dalyop, he said that the training was to enable the unemployed graduates acquire skills for self reliance and to contribute their quota to national development.
Niger
Presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Dele Atunbi, has vowed to secure media salary structure? for journalists in the country.
Atunbi made the promise while campaigning at the Niger State council of the NUJ in Minna recently.
“If I become president, the media salary structure will be gotten with ease by virtue of our contributions to the development of the country,” he said.
Ogun
A housewife, Adetutu Kobiti, has urged an Ijebu-Ode Customary
Court in Ogun State to dissolve her four-year-old marriage to her husband, Gbenga, for alleged incessant physical abuse.
Adetutu, 29, also told the court that Gbenga was no longer providing for her and their three-year-old baby girl.
The petitioner said that her estranged husband resorted to violence any time she challenged him over his infidelity.
Adetutu, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the marriage and grant her the custody of the child but with the proviso that the respondent be responsible for the child’s upkeep, including her school fees.
Our correspondent reports that Gbenga was absent in court. The Court President, Mr Timothy Olufunwa, consequently adjourned the case till September 18 for further hearing.
Oyo
The Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan has dissolved a seven-year-
old marriage between Romoke and Adeshina and her husband Moruf, for threat to life and gross irresponsibility.
The Court President, Mr Ademola Odunade, held that any misunderstanding in a family that involved threat to the life of a partner was not worth it.
Odunade held that Adeshina’s plea to settle the rift between him and his wife was belated as he ought to have put his home in order before now.
“In the interest of peaceful coexistence, the husband and wife relationship between both of you has ceased to be henceforth.
Sokoto
Wamakko Local Government of Sokoto State, has distributed three
ambulances and 50 motorcycles, to boost healthcare delivery in the area.
The Caretaker Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Ahmed Kalambaina, said in Wamakko that the items were procured under the Millennium Development Project (MDGs).
He said that the ambulances would serve Fanare, Wamakko and Kalambaina communities, while the 50 motorcycles were for health workers and public enlightenment officers in the 11 wards of the area.
“These vehicles are provide d to ensure improvement in the provision of quality healthcare to the people.
Kaiambaina disclosed that apart from the vehicles, assorted drugs were also provided to 12 Primary Health Centres in the area for distribution free to the people.
Zamfara
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Zamfara State Com
mand, yesterday cautioned drivers in the state to avoid dangerous driving before, during and after the celebration of the Eid-el-Fitri.
The Sector Commander Mr Amos Thilza,, told newsmen in Gusau that the command had received operational directive to that effect from the headquarters in Abuja.
He said that the command would do everything possible to ensure accident-free celebration in the state.
According to him, the operation will involve traffic control, especially at praying grounds; public enlightenment campaign on radio and television and at motor parks.
The official said that excessive speeding would be thoroughly checked, while the ban on the use of mobile phone during driving would be enforced during the operation.
He urged the public to cooperate with the FRSC during the period, and also solicited the collaboration of other security personnel, to ensure the protection of lives and property.
Nation
HYPREP Inducts 100 Ogoni Youths For Creative Arts Training

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.
Nation
Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

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.
Nation
Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

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.
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