Nation
THE STATES
L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat-Yusuf and the Permanent Secretary, Youth and Social Development, Hakeem Muri Okunola, at a news conference by Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Sports to mark one year of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in office, in Lagos yesterday.
Bauchi
Bauchi State is to train 900 women across the 20 Local
Government Areas in new trades to make them self reliant.
Hajiya Asabe HAmma, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the State, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
According to her, the training would be in new “marketable trades” that would require small amounts as capital.
She said that the number of participants would be based on the size and population of each local government.
Hamma said that women development officers at the local government levels would be charged with the responsibility of selecting those to be trained.
Ekiti
A Muslim cleric, Malam Abdul’kareem Adeleke, said he
was optimistic that the current economic challenges facing the country would soon be over.
Adeleke, of the Central Mosque, Ikole, Ekiti State, spoke with newsmen after the Jumat prayers.
He appealed to Nigerians to endure the hardship and urged the rich to always support the poor in the society.
According to him, the rich have a duty to support government in alleviating poverty and to assist the needy with food, cash and other things that could improve their condition.
He cautioned the less privileged in the society against engaging in crime as means of survival saying God would not be pleased with such act.
FCT
A 55-year old farmer, Aminu Ma’aji has appeared in a Kado
Grade 1 Area Court for alleged mischief.
Ma’aji, who resides in Gwarimpa village, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of mischief.
The Prosecutor, Zeera Douglas, told the court that Peter Omobighe of Gwarimpa village, reported the matter at Gwarimpa Police Station on February 27.
Douglas said that the defendant deliberately removed the roof of Omobighe’s room, who is his tenant, without any reason to do so.
He said that rainfall destroyed all his property, which included mattress , kitchen cabinet, electronic cabinet, gas cooker, standing fan, two seater chairs, all valued N86,000.
The prosecutor added that the crime was punishable under Section 327 of the Penal Code.
The presiding officer, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, granted bail to the accused in the sum N50,000 with a surety in like sum.
Kano
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has successfully resolved
14 out of the 22 cases it received in Kano State in March, the state Coordinator, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, has said.
Umar told newsmen in Kano that the council received eight criminal cases and 14 civil cases in the month under review.
The coordinator added that the 14 resolved cases comprised of five criminal and nine civil ones.
According to him, the 14 cases were resolved through arbitration while the remaining ones were still ongoing in court.
He also said that most of the civil cases were over inheritance, marriage, debt, land dispute among others.
Katsina
Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State has
inaugurated a response committee as part of its efforts toward preventing the prevalence of Lassa fever in the area.
The acting chairman of the council, Alhaji Abba Lawal, who inaugurated the committee, said its members were selected based on their proximity to the people.
“They would be able to quickly inform the authorities of any outbreak”, he said.
Lawal said the council, through its health, water and sanitation departments, had embarked on educating food vendors and individual families as well as other rural dwellers on the dangers of Lassa fever and the prevalence of other communicable diseases.
“Public lectures, interactive sessions and house-to-house mobilisations are being conducted to educate the people.
Kwara
The Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged
religious bodies to join hands with the government to move the nation forward.
Ahmed made the call at the 2016 Nigerian Baptist Convention in Ilorin.
Governor Ahmed, who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Peter Kisira, charged religious organisations to entrench good governance and play complementary roles to the government.
The governor said that the government was ready to partner any religious body or organisation to achieve all- round development of the state.
Lagos
Ato Arinze, a specialist in sculpture, has called on the Federal
Government to provide stiffer penalties for cross-border theft of art works.
Arinze told newsmen in Lagos that government’s intervention was necessary to curtail the nefarious act.
“Our artefacts are being stolen daily and it is crossing Nigerian borders without check.”
He advised artists in the country to properly document their works, so as to make the task of identifying them easier.
The artist added that most stolen art works taken across Nigeria’s borders were difficult to trace because of poor documentation by owners.
Nasarawa
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Lafia,
disbursed resettlement tools and equipment worth N1.5 million to 18 graduate trainees of vocational skills programme in Nasarawa State.
The Acting Director-General of NDE, Mr Kunle Obayan, who distributed the tools, said that the gesture was to enable the unemployed graduate trainees become self reliant and contribute their quota to national development.
Obayan, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Special Public Works, Mr Monday Dalyop, said that the Federal Government was planning to create employment opportunities for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians, hence the need for the gesture.
“NDE came into existence in 1986, saddled with the responsibilities of training people especially the youths and women in different skills acquisition programmes in the country.
Niger
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a suspected
robber, Gideon Ezechukwu, who allegedly uses the Hijab as camouflage during operations.
Police Public Relation Officer in the state, ASP Bala Elkanah, made this known during an interview with newsmen in Minna.
“On April 13, 2016 at about 6.00am one Gideon Ezechukwu of Dutsen Kura Gwari, Minna who dressed in women hijab was arrested by the police.
“The suspect was arrested while trying to escape with an allegedly stolen red colour Jincheng motorcycle (rubber rubber),’’ he said.
Plateau
The Plateau Government has closed down 62 poultry
farms and destroyed more than 190,000 birds affected by bird flu across the state, an official has confirmed.
Director, Veterinary Services, in the state’s Ministry of Agriculture,Dr Doris Bitrus, told newsmen in Jos that the disease had continued to spread.
She attributed that spread to the non-compensation of farmers, whose farms were affected by the disease in 2015.
“With compensation not coming, most farmers now prefer selling their sick birds to the marketers,” she said.
She explained that the disease was more prevalent in Jos South, Jos North, Jos East and Bassa Local Government Areas of the state.
According to her, government is working toward promoting more biosafety measures to check the spread of the disease.
Ogun
A 28-year-old man, Tunde Oduntan, who allegedly
punched off a commercial motorcyclist’s incisors, has been hauled up before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court.
The court, however, granted the accused a bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of unlawful assault.
The prosecutor, Insp. Augustin Ozimini, told the court that the accused had on April 15 at about 3.20 p.m. beat up the commercial motorcyclist, Abu Joseph, and removed two of his teeth in the process with punches.
Yobe
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar,
said that the Federal Government’s intervention in the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons was to enable them to return to their communities.
Abubakar stated this at the handing over of relief materials to the IDPs in Damaturu.
Abubakar was represented by Air Commodore Paul Dimfwina, Commander 79 Composite Group Nigeria Air Force, Maiduguri.
He said that the donation was in fulfillment of a presidential mandate given to the Comptroller-General of Customs to transfer items seized by the Customs and legally forfeited to the government for the use of IDPs in various camps across the North-East.
Abubakar said that the intervention should be seen as laying foundation for full relocation of the displaced persons to their communities.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
The Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, in partnership with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, has reaffirmed support for efforts to expand gas distribution infrastructure in Rivers State as part of initiatives aimed at improving access to affordable, cleaner and more reliable energy for industries across the South-South region.
The commitment was highlighted during the SNG–MAN Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders from the industrial and public sectors examined the role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, boosting local production and strengthening energy security.
Speaking at the forum on behalf of the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, the company’s Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos Ejesi, described natural gas as a critical component of Nigeria’s energy mix and a key driver of sustainable industrial growth.
According to him, Nigeria’s gas development agenda has reached a stage where policy direction must be matched with practical implementation capable of addressing the energy challenges confronting manufacturers.
He noted that pipeline gas offers industries a cleaner, more dependable and cost-effective energy alternative capable of supporting uninterrupted operations, reducing emissions and improving production efficiency.
“Gas is the backbone of manufacturing, and we are encouraged by the growing recognition among stakeholders of the need for cleaner and more reliable energy solutions,” he said.
Ejesi stressed the need for sustained collaboration among energy providers, government institutions and industrial stakeholders to maximise the country’s gas resources for economic development.
He added that improved gas infrastructure would strengthen manufacturing value chains, enhance productivity and promote more competitive industrial operations across Rivers State and the wider South-South region.
Participants at the forum also emphasised the importance of expanding energy infrastructure as a pathway to unlocking industrial capacity, reducing operating costs and promoting sustainable industrial development.
Representing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with private sector investors to revitalise industrial activities in the state.
He identified key projects targeted under the initiative to include the revival of the Ahoada Industrial Park, the New Port City project and the proposed Bonny Industrial Park, all aimed at stimulating economic growth and expanding industrial opportunities along the Bonny corridor.
According to the governor, the long-term vision is to position Rivers State as a leading manufacturing hub in Southern Nigeria through strategic public-private partnerships.
Governor Fubara also commended Shell Nigeria Gas and MAN for sustaining engagements geared towards improving industrial energy access, noting that gas infrastructure development remains central to the state’s economic recovery plans.
He further observed that the gas sector presents enormous opportunities for economic growth, especially as global energy systems continue to shift towards cleaner energy sources.
The governor called on stakeholders to work collectively towards developing a practical and sustainable gas framework capable of supporting the state’s industrial and energy development objectives.
Chairman of MAN, Rivers and Bayelsa Branch, Elder Vincent Okuku, described gas as indispensable to industrial operations, noting that many manufacturers continue to struggle with the high cost of alternative energy sources.
Similarly, President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Chinyere Ngozi Nwoga, said the transition to natural gas had become increasingly necessary for businesses seeking stable and cost-efficient operations.
“Pipeline natural gas provides a more cost-effective and reliable source of energy for industries,” she stated.
Also speaking, former Chairman of MAN in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs. Emilia Akpan, stressed the need to align energy infrastructure development with investment in human capacity.
She maintained that rebuilding the state’s economy would require not only reliable energy supply but also the development of technical skills needed to support long-term industrial growth.
By Kevin Nengia
The City Boy Movement in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers state has commended Senator Allwell Onyesoh on his victory in the APC primary election for Rivers East Senatorial District.
Chairman of the group in Etche, Dr. Fortune Uchenna Obi, spoke to journalists in Okehi Ward after participating in Monday’s direct primary. He described Onyesoh’s emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election as a reflection of the people’s will.
Dr. Obi said the senator has performed well during his first term and deserves re-election. He also thanked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, leader of the Renewed Hope Agenda and Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State, for supporting Onyesoh’s candidacy. According to him, Wike’s backing was instrumental to the senator’s nomination, clearance, and victory at the primary.
He further praised voters in Etche and across Rivers East for turning out in large numbers at ward centers and urged them to sustain the support to ensure Onyesoh’s success in the January 2027 general election.