Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka
Ike, on Saturday called on the Federal Government to probe the utilisation of the N3 billion Nollywood Intervention Fund.
Ike alleged that the money had been “hijacked by a cabal” to the detriment of the film industry.
The AGN president told newsmen in Yola that the film industry had not benefited from the grant.
Ike further claimed that most of the 247 actors said to have been trained at the cost of N899 million abroad from the fund, could not be traced.
Ike advised the government to always relate directly with associations in the film industry such as AGN, ANTP and Kannywood, instead of individual actors.
Benue
Benue State Government on Saturday condemned Friday
night’s attack on a social media activist, Mr Armstrong Chir, by unknown hoodlums suspected to be political thugs.
This is contained in a press statement issued by Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Information and Communication Technology, Mr Tahav Agerzua, in Makurdi
Agerzua said the governor had already directed security agents to track and apprehend those responsible for the act, which he described as reprehensible and condemnable.
He said that the governor was determined to eliminate thuggery and violence and their use to achieve political objectives in the state.
Borno
The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), yester
day launched skills acquisition training for 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State as part of its empowerment programme for victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The UNHCR Country Representative, Ms Angele Atangana, opened the training at a ceremony in Maiduguri.
Atangana, who doubled at the UNHCR Representative at the Economic Commission for the West African States (ECOWAS), said that the programme was targeted at IDPs residing in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno.
She said that the objective was to impact skills on the beneficiaries so they could be self reliant when they return home, and commended the trainees zeal to learn.
The Coordinator of the programme, Malam Idris Alooma, said that the training was in collaboration with the Borno and the Federal Government toward preparing the IDPs for their eventual return to their homes following the liberation of commodities by the military from the Boko Haram terrorists.
Ekiti
Armed men have kidnapped the wife of a chieftain of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr. Ajibola Oyedele.
The kidnappers have since demanded a ransom of N40million from Oyedele.
Oyedele, popularly called 50-50 by his political fans, revealed on Saturday night that he was able to speak with his wife at about 5:45pm.
She was abducted late Friday at about 8:30pm at the family home in Omuo Oke, a town in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The woman did not resist her abductors.
According to Oyedele, the kidnappers claimed that he was their actual target.
Oyedele, who defected to the APC in July this year, was the only PDP member of the last Ekiti State House of Assembly.
But he resigned from the government on May 31, 2016, citing poor remuneration.
Gombe
The Paramount Ruler of Kaltungo in Kaltungo Local Gov
ernment Area of Gombe State, Alhaji Sale Muhammad, on Saturday appealed to the state government for more health centres in Garin Bako and Garin Korom.
Muhammad made appeal when the President of Imperative Initiative for Motivation of Global Care (IIMGC), and officials of the state Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, visited him in Kaltungo.
According to him, the only health centre in the community is located in Garin Korom, a mountainous area without a good road for vehicles.
Besides, he said “there is no school in Garin Bako with 1,429 households, and appealed to the NGO to come to their aid.
The Commissioner for Environment and Forest Resources, Hajiya Sa’adatu Sa’ad, said the NGO was in Gombe to address the challenges of the citizens, particularly in the rural areas.
Ibadan
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Lateef Fagbemi,
on Saturday canvassed for the creation of state police in Nigeria, to effectively tackle insecurity challenges.
Fagbemi said in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan that current security challenges warrant the decentralisation of policing in the country.
He stressed that stemming crime was the collective responsibility of local, state and federal governments, as such it was necessary to allow people to monitor and secure their areas by devolving policing duties to states.
According to the senior lawyer, the country can no longer afford to run away from the issue in spite of the misgivings expressed by opponents of the idea.
Fagbemi said that any step in life involved risks, as such the country should explore the benefits inherent in the establishment of state police.
Kaduna
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) on Saturday said
it would institute a legal action against the Kaduna State Government for declaring the group illegal..
Spokesperson of the movement, Ibraheem Musa, told newmen in Kaduna that the ban announced by the government was illegal.
“Its an infringement on our basic right as citizens of the country.
“We are not going to be intimidated into taking any violence or unlawful activity but will take legal action against the Kaduna State Government for the infringement.”
It would be recalled that the government had on October 7 declared the IMN an unlawful society.
The government, in a statement, said that it took the decision to preserve peace and security in the state.
Kano
The Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in
Kano State said it had so far registered no fewer than 5, 000 wheat farmers for the CBN anchor borrower programme in the state.
The state WFAN Chairman, Alhaji Faruk Rabiu disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Kano on Saturday.
He said the number was still far below the target number of 75, 000 farmers expected to participate in the programme in the state.
The chairman said the association had recently established four new offices in addition to the existing 24, to encourage more farmers to register.
Rabiu called on farmers, who have not returned their completed forms to do so, pointing out that the wheat planting season would be flagged off by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Thursday, October 20.
Niger
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has blamed the surge in demand for hard drugs in the North-East to insurgency in the area.
The agency’s Commander in Niger state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, said this in an interview with newsmen in Minna on Saturday.
He said that operatives in the command had intercepted many suspects in parts of the state, moving illicit drugs to the area in concealed consignments.
The commander said that skunk was a compressed odourless improved cannabis sativa, which currently sold at N1, 000 per rap in the North-East because of the high demand.
Ogun
The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission
(OGISIEC) adopted simultaneous accreditation and voting system for Saturday’s election into the 20 local government councils and 37 LCDAs to ensure an orderly exercise.
A commissioner in OGISIEC, Mr Mutiu Agboke, told newsmen at the Muslim Model Nursery and Primary School Polling Centre, Abeokuta, that the system had contributed to the peaceful and orderly conduct of the ongoing exercise.
“The simultaneous accreditation and voting system adopted by the electoral commission has enhanced a peaceful coordination of the election process.
“Many of the voters left as soon as they voted, and so, there has been peace.”
Senator Lanre Tejuosho (APC-Ogun Central) also commended OGISIEC for adopting the simultaneous accreditation and voting system.
Tejuosho, who addressed newsmen at the Muslim Model Nursery and Primary School Polling Centre, noted that the same system was adopted by INEC in the recent governorship election in Edo.
Plateau
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Pla
teau State chapter, Chief Letep Daban, has described the defection of Sen. Joshua Dariye from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC as a welcome development.
He made the remark in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Jos.
Daban, who said that the party was highly delighted to receive Dariye, (former PDP-Plateau Central, added that his defection would make the APC
stronger.
He noted that defection was the best decision to take as a politician at the moment “because it will be unwise for the distinguished senator to continue to be in a party that is enmeshed in crises both at the state and at the national level.
Other PDP defectors into the APC include Pauline Tallen, Hon. Diket Plang and Hon. Abbas Wolgum, former members of Plateau House of Assembly, he said.
The APC chairman added that many former commissioners during Jonah Jang’s tenure have also defected to the APC.
Taraba
The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nige
ria (AMLSN) has said that Nigeria has over two million recorded cases of cancer with 100, 000 new cases annually.
The association made this known in a communiqué issued by its President, Alhaji Toyosi Raheem, at the end of its 52nd Annual Scientific Conference and workshop in Jalingo on Saturday.
Raheem attributed the high rate of tumour and cancer in the country to a shift from the consumption of natural to artificial food and lack of regular physical exercise by citizens.
According to him, indiscriminate, unregulated and over use of herbicides and insecticides on the farms also contribute to development of tumours and cancer in humans.
He commended the Federal Government for the establishment of National Cancer and National Cancer Control Programme.
Raheem also called on the Minister of Health, Prof. Issac Adewale, to integrate Nigerian Medical Laboratory Scientists into the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) and Save 1 Million Lives Initiative of the Federal Government.
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.