Nation
THE STATES
Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari (middle), wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo (4th –left) With Some of the wives of the heads of mission in Nigeria at the cocktail organized in their honour by Mrs Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last Sunday
Adamawa
The Citizen Service Officer, U.S. Embassy, Abuja Ms Emily
Enright, has urged the media to mobilise Nigerians with dual citizenship on their right to vote in the November U.S. Presidential election.
Enright made the call in Yola in an interactive session with newsmen in Yola.
Enright said that such Nigerians who must be 18 years and above could vote from Nigeria through the Voting Absentee System that make room for U.S. citizens outside the country to vote.
“We want the media to take the message to Nigerian-Americans living in your society that they do have the right to vote.
“We want as many people as possible to turn out and vote in the election,” Enright said.
Bauchi
Bauchi State has recorded 21 cases of Lassa fever since
November ,2015, Dr Adamu Gamawa, Chairman, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA), has said.
Gamawa made the disclosure in Bauchi, saying 11 victims had died and 10 on admission at the Exclusive Unit of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.
He said the cases occurred in 12 communities of Bauchi, Alkaleri, Toro, Tafawa Balewa and Dass local government areas of the state.
Gamawa said the most recent case was in Ja’eh hamlet of Bal village in Tafawa Balewa local government area where a 78 years-old-man who was infected had nine members of the family infested.
FCT
The Ministry of Budget and National Planning in col
laboration with stakeholders reviewed the Draft National Policy on Food and Nutrition to eradicate malnutrition in the country.
At a stakeholder’s dialogue in Abuja, the Minister of State for the ministry, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said that Nigeria had the highest burden of malnutrition in Africa.
Mohammed said this necessitated the review of the policy to address emerging concerns in the science, practice and programme of food and nutrition activities in the country.
She said the review was done with a view to scaling up high impact and cost effective nutrition interventions to stem the upsurge of malnutrition, especially among vulnerable groups.
“The NPFN is a 10-year blueprint for eradicating malnutrition for sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria. It is a plan for the future we desire for our country.
“We are here to add value to the draft NFPN; our idea, perspective and criticisms would be invaluable,’’ the minister said.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Fatima Mede, said the policy had potential to address malnutrition and extreme hunger among children, pregnant and lactating mothers.
Mede said that the policy would address emerging concerns in the science of food and nutrition programming.
Gombe
The Gombe State House of Assembly has passed a bud
get of N76.80 billion for the 2016 fiscal year.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Information Officer of the Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, in Gombe.
The statement said that the budget was passed following the adoption of the recommendations of the House Committee on Appropriation during the plenary.
It stated that the budget reflected an increase of N257.19 million compared to the initial proposal presented to the Assembly.
According to the statement, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Solomon Jisimah, said that the budget was made up of capital expenditure of N34 .57 billion and recurrent expenditure of N42.60 billion.
Jigawa
No fewer than 48, 047 children in Malammadori local
government council in Jigawa were immunised against polio virus during the February 2016 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs).
Mr Muhammad Yusuf, the Immunisation’s Focal Person in the area, made the disclosure in Malammadori while reviewing the report of the February round of immunisation exercise.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government said it has commenced
discussion with private investors to construct rail lines in Kaduna metropolis.
The State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Mr Mahmud Hassan, disclosed this in Kaduna at a meeting with companies that bided for the project.
Hassan said that the government expects to receive authentic designs and good business proposals from companies interested in the rail project.
He explained that the metro would cover: Narayi-Refinery; Airport-Mando; Ahamdu Bello Stadium-Sabon Tasha; Kawo station-Kachia station; and Kawo fly over bridge-Nnamdi Azikiwe bye-pass-Sabon Tasha.
The commissioner said that the project would be executed through Public Private Partnership (PPP) and would compliment government’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Kwara
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara, has insti
tuted a stakeholders’ forum and constituted 10 committees as part of efforts to reposition the party.
The Chairman of the party in the state, Akogun Oyedepo inaugurated the forum and the committees at the party secretariat, Ilorin, recently.
He said that the move was also to strengthen the party ahead of the local councils election in the state and bye- election in Oke Ero constituency.
Oyedepo explained that the stakeholders forum was made up of one representative from each of the 193 electoral wards in the state.
“Stakeholders’ forum is the creation of the executive of the party as an instrument of providing for all inclusive administration in our party.
“There are so many men and women of wisdom outside the executive that we can leverage upon to provide for a strong party that can win elections,” he added.
Lagos
A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 20 for
continuation of trial of 11 fishermen charged with pipeline vandalism and scooping of petrol valued at N5.3 million.
The accused are Sidi Egbayelo, 29; Sunday Shadrach, 39; Edem Okon, 30; Godwin Kofa, 28; Rosemon Neito, 30; Ejona Kpamkpam, 23; and Moses Victor, 28.
Others are Chris Sunday, 29; Peter Gay, 21; Remo Uchugwu, 23; and Mike Sabato, 29.
These men are standing trial for conspiracy, vandalism, stealing, and unlawful possession of petroleum products.
The court adjourned sitting to April 20 following the transfer of the trial judge, Justice Musa Kurya, out of Lagos Division.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government said that it had earmarked
N40 million for the construction of a permanent orphanage in Lafia.
Mrs Eunice Kerb, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, made this known in Lafia while defending her ministry’s 2016 budget at the state House of Assembly.
Kerb told the House Committee on Women Affairs that the ministry was determined to improve on the welfare and standard of living of women, orphans and the less-privileged.
Plateau
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Small Scale Women
Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), has urged the Federal Government to provide power tillers for women to enhance agricultural production.
The President of the Organisation in Plateau, Mrs Mary Afan, made the call in Jos during an interview with newsmen.
She explained that the power tillers would reduce the hardship women are facing in tilling the soil before planting their crops.
SWOFON‘s president expressed regret that women do not own large hectares of land like their male counterparts, stressing that this had been an impediment toward accessing tractors for land cultivation.
“Unlike a man, a woman own less than one hectare of land, no tractor would come to till the land because of this size.
Ondo
An Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded seven
men for alleged robbery of a truck loaded with 45,000 litres Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) valued at N6m.
The accused are: Alaba Oke, 36; Omonugba Omosule, 30; Igbekele Nejo, 25; Arowojolu Seun, 27; Akinjole Kayode, 28; Samuel Adeoye, 29 and Kayode Alade, 29.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Bob-Manuel, ordered the accused be remanded in Olokuta prisons after they pleaded not guilty to a two-count-charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.
She declined the appeal and request by their lawyer, Mr Kehinde Adegun, that they should be granted bail.
The Magistrate ordered that the accused should remain behind bars pending the receipt of legal advice from the state’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
She also directed that the original copy of the case file be sent to the state chief registrar for safe keeping.
Oyo
A consultant gynaecologist, Dr Fatima Akinlusi, has
described Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) as a major cause of unnecessary and avoidable suffering in women.
Akinlusi of the College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASU), told newsmen that the condition was preventable, if people would adhere to the best practices and medical advice.
She said vaginal fistula was an abnormal opening of the tract that connects the vagina to the bladder that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of the urine into the vaginal vault.
“VVF is a condition that creates a hole in the vagina that allows stool or urine to pass through the vagina vault.
“It is caused mostly by complications during childbirth, like prolonged and obstructed labour, and it happens mostly where women have no access to quality healthcare.
Nation
Zabbey Emerges Social Impact Man Of The Year 2025 …Reaffirms Commitment To Ogoni Transformation
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, has been named Social Impact Man of the Year 2025 by Daily Independent Newspapers.
The award was presented at the Independent Awards 2025 Silver Jubilee Edition held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, as part of activities marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary of editorial excellence.
Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Independent Newspapers, Steve Omanufeme, said the award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and transformative impact in their respective fields. He explained that recipients emerged through a rigorous process involving public voting, editorial board scrutiny, and assessment by a panel of judges.
Omanufeme noted that Zabbey’s selection reflects his outstanding contributions to environmental restoration and community development in Ogoniland through the Ogoni cleanup project.
With over two decades of experience spanning research, advocacy, capacity development, and administration, Zabbey has, within three years of leading HYPREP, implemented people-focused initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and restoring degraded ecosystems.
Under his leadership, the project has reportedly created more than 7,000 direct jobs and facilitated the training of thousands of youths and women in high-demand skills, including mechatronics, cybersecurity, commercial diving, underwater welding, and data analytics.
HYPREP has also trained over 5,000 beneficiaries across 21 vocational skill areas, providing start-up kits to support entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
In the area of environmental sustainability, the agency has established 31 environmental clubs in secondary schools and trained 2,500 youths with International Maritime Organization (IMO) certification to support shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration efforts.
The project has recorded significant ecological milestones, including the cleanup of over 1,000 hectares of shoreline and restoration of 560 hectares of mangroves. This progress contributed to the designation of Ogoni mangrove wetlands as a Ramsar Site of international importance.
Beyond environmental remediation, HYPREP has expanded its social intervention programmes to include educational grants and scholarships for over 1,000 students, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, and skills training for persons living with special needs.
Infrastructure and healthcare development have also featured prominently, with ongoing projects such as the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, a Cottage Hospital, the Ogoni Power Project, and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration. The agency has further strengthened emergency healthcare delivery by donating five ambulances to medical facilities in the region.
Additionally, potable water has been provided to more than 40 communities, alongside the construction of wind-powered water systems in underserved areas.
Speaking on the award, Zabbey described it as a validation of HYPREP’s integrated approach to environmental restoration, healthcare improvement, and economic empowerment.
“We remain committed to delivering a cleanup that not only restores the environment but also improves livelihoods in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
HYPREP, in a statement, expressed appreciation to the management of Independent Newspapers for the recognition, the Federal Ministry of Environment for its oversight role, and the Ogoni communities for their continued support and collaboration.
The agency was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland and restore areas impacted by oil pollution.
Nation
Rivers State Judiciary Counters NBA National Position over Contempt Ruling, Says Judge Acted Within the Law
The Rivers State Judiciary has faulted the Nigerian Bar Association National over its March 26, 2026 press release condemning the jailing of a lawyer for contempt, insisting the trial judge acted lawfully to protect the court’s integrity.
In a rejoinder issued by Chief Registrar High Court,David D. Ihua-Maduenyi, Esq., the judiciary said it was necessary to “set the records straight” following reactions to the NBA’s statement on the contempt conviction of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin.
Titled: “JUDGES MUST NOT BULLY LAWYERS OR
ABUSE POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT AS A TOOL
FOR INTIMIDATION OF LAWYERS”
RE: IN THE MATTER OF CONTEMPT OF COURT BY MRS.
LOVINAH UGBANA BENJAMIN
IN SUIT NO.
PHC/301/2016 CORAM C. NWOGU J., OF THE HIGH
COURT OF RIVERS STATE.
The state judiciary explained that case in question is Suit No. PHC/301/2016 before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court, where Mrs. Benjamin served as defence counsel.
The statement read thus
“We are compelled to make this rejoinder regarding the
incident of the conviction for contempt and subsequent
unconditional discharge of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin,
Learned Counsel for the Defendants in the above suit by Hon.
Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the High Court of Rivers State in
order to set the records straight, and not allow the
misinformation, misconception and reactions arising from the
NBA National Press Release in the matter to fester as reality or
truth.”
In the suit under reference wherein the said Learned
Counsel appeared for the Defendants, the Learned Counsel
attempted to mislead the Court by her signed and filed final
written address, by knowingly and falsely presenting non-
existent facts and evidence of a witness. When confronted by the
Court, she admitted that what she stated in her final written
the address was not true and she was unapologetic.”
“The to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Court, which the
said Learned Counsel treated with clear and brazen contempt, the
Court after following due process, convicted her for contempt and
sentenced her to prison for 3 days only, instead of the 3 months
statutory term due to passionate plea from the Bar.”
“According to the statement the suggestion of the NBA National in paragraph 10 of the
Press Release under reference that “where a court considers
counsel’s conduct improper, the proper course is to invoke
recognised disciplinary mechanisms, including referring
counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
(LPDC), rather than resorting to summary punitive measures”,
is not an invariable rule because the act of the Defence Counsel
constitutes contempt in facie curiae which the Court can punish
instantly, hence the action of the Judge is not an abuse of power
or an act of intimidation.”
“Nevertheless, due to the numerous calls from respected
members of the Bar to the offices of the Chief Registrar and the
Honourable Chief Judge for the release of the said Learned
Counsel, and the intervention of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
delegation led by its Chairman, Mrs. Cordelia U. Eke to the Judge.
in his Chambers in the morning of 26/03/2026 where the
delegation upon learning the true facts of the incident, apologised
and pleaded for the release of the said Learned Counsel.
“The Judge
having accepted the apology signed a production warrant and
upon her production in court and oral application by Mrs. Cordelia
U. Eke, discharged her unconditionally that same morning.”
The statement further stated that It is therefore shocking to read later that day the NBA
National Press Release signed by its President and Secretary, Mazi
Afam Joseph Osigwe (SAN) and Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara respectively,
fiercely threatening and hastily advocated the following ultimata and
the immediate release of the affected
Counsel.
:That the Hon. Chief Judge of Rivers State
immediately investigate the circumstances
surrounding this incident and take
appropriate administrative action.
That appropriate disciplinary steps be taken
by the National Judicial Council, where
necessary.
That the remand of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana
Benjamin under the circumstances be
condemned and set aside”
“That all NBA branches in Port Harcourt and
its environs and all legal practitioners
boycott the proceedings before the Court of
Hon. Justice Nwogu for a period of 7 days if
Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin is not
released within 24 hours.
“It seems to us that it is either the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
leadership did not relate the true position to the NBA National or
if they did, the NBA National decided to speak daggers, not peace
to impugn the Judge as a villain.
“We find the position of the NBA National on this subject very
offensive and embarrassingly raising a feeling of acrimony against
the Judge in particular, and the High Court bench of Rivers State
in general. We categorically state that the Hon. Justice Chinwendu
Nwogu is one of our respected and respectful Judges with
unblemished integrity.
We view this Press Release as an isolated departure from the
enterprising and amiable leadership of the NBA National,
especially its President, whom we hold in high esteem and
admiration.”
“Whilst we appreciate the concern of the NBA National in
bringing attention to the event of 25th March 2026, we assure that
the Bench and the Bar in Rivers State remain veritable partners
in the administration of justice.
“We firmly restate that the Bench in Rivers State holds the Bar
in high esteem and this event would not disrupt the cordial
relationship between the Bench and the Bar.”