Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State is to travel to Saudi Arabia to check his health, Secretary to the State Government, Malam Bello Ilelah said last Tuesday.
In a terse statement issued to all media organisations in Bauchi, copy of which mas made available to newsmen, Ilelah said the governor would be away for 17 days, during which his deputy, Malam Nuhu Gidado, would act as the state’s Chief Executive.
“His Excellency, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar Esq, Governor of Bauchi, will undertake a medical trip to Saudi Arabia, from Tuesday, 13th June, 2017, to Friday, 30th June, 2017.
During his absence, His Excellency, Nuhu Gidado , Deputy Governor , will act as the Governor,” said Ilelah.
Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti lastTuesday sentenced 31-year-old Okunola Matthew to five years imprisonment for stealing.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Idowu Ayenimo, however, sentenced him without an option of fine.
The police prosecutor, Sgt. Bankole Olasunkanmi, had earlier told the Court that the accused, and others still at large, committed the offence on May 30, at about noon at Ureje area in Ado-Ekiti.
Olasunkanmi said that the accused, and others still at large, did break and entered the house of five tenants on the same date, time and place.
FCT
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, last Tuesday fixed November 21 to hear a motion filed by 110 disengaged lecturers of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain an appeal filed by the school.
The school is appealing a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, that ordered it to pay N2.6 billion to the 110 members of staff, whose appointments were terminated in 1999.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the disengaged staff, Mr Femi Adedeji, told the court that the matter was for hearing of their motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
He, however, said that he was surprised that ABU’s counsel, Mr Aliemeke Ewere was absent in court.
Gombe
Gombe State Ministry of Health has appealed to the general public to come out en masse and donate blood to those in dire need, to commemorate the World Blood Donor Day 2017.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, made the appeal in Gombe on Tuesday while speaking to newsmen.
Report says that World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside, June 14 of every year as World Blood Donor Day.
The event was first commemorated in 2004 to raise awareness on the need for safe blood, and to thank donors for their voluntary sacrifice.
‘’I want people to know that it is important to donate blood because there are sick people in hospital beds, who are in dire need of blood, especially pregnant women.
Kaduna
The General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade has advised officers and men of the division to be diligent and professional in carrying out their jobs.
Oyebade made the call when he opened a one-week training for Finance and Account personnel of the Division in Kaduna.
“ You Must do your job diligently and professionally and ensure efficiency and honesty in what ever you do so that no body will complain.
“Another thing you must take into cognisance is the importance of what you do in relation to national security, “ he said.
The GOC told the personnel to acquire skills in Information Communication Technology [ICT] for timely information management and effective discharge of their duties.
Kano
The Kano State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Garba says the state government has revived the Triumph newspapers to protect public interest.
Garba said in an interview with newsmen in Kano last Tuesday that the government had invested in new facilities and equipment for the paper to operate optimally.
“Modern equipment and facilities were installed by the State Government to revive the newspaper company to serve and protect the interest of the general public.
“We have taken serious measures to ensure that the company stands on its own to the extent that no one can jeopardise its functions for the next decades”, the Commissioner assured.
According to Garba, professional hands have been employed to handle the affairs of the company in the bid to provide readers correct information and happenings from around the world.
Katsina
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Katsina State Command, last Tuesday said it rescued 40 victims of human trafficking in Katsina State between January and May.
Comptroller of Immigration in the state, Mr Muhammed Rabiu, disclosed this to newsmen in Katsina.
He said the affected persons were apprehended while trying to cross Kongolon-Babban-Mutum border to Niger Republic on their way to Europe.
Rabiu said the victims, between 18 and 30 years, did not possess valid travelling documents.
According to him, the victims were arrested at different border checkpoints.
Kebbi
The District Head of Ambursa in Kebbi State, Alhaji Haruna Rasheed, last Tuesday doled out clothing materials to 500 indigent persons in his domain, ahead of the Sallah festival.
Rasheed who addressed the beneficiaries in Ambursa, said the donation was to bring succour and enable them celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr, coming up in less than two weeks.
“The donation has been an annual event for the past 15 years; it is aimed at bringing succour to the people to enable them celebrate the Sallah in happiness,” he said.
The district head appreciated his subjects for their support and loyalty, and advised them to use the remaining period of the Ramadan to pray for peace and unity of the country.
Lagos
A 43-year-old woman, Aminat Akande, last Tuesday appeared before a Federal High Court in Lagos, charged with distributing and selling unregistered cream and soaps.
Akande, who resides at No. 1, NTA St, Topa, Badagry, Lagos State, is standing trial on a three-count charge of importation, distribution and sale of unwholesome products.
She is being prosecuted by the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Akande, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Prosecutor, Mr Umar Shamaki, told the court that the accused committed the offences on November 23, 2016 at Shop DO22, Ogun Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos.
Osun
An Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun State last Tuesday remanded in prison a man, 21-year-old Toheeb Okunade, charged with hurling stones at a police inspector.
The Magistrate, Mr Olalekan Ijiyode, who gave the ruling, had refused the oral bail application by Mr Ben Adiereje, the defence counsel and directed that he should make a written application.
Ijiyode ordered the remand of the accused in prison pending his bail application.
Adiereje had asked the court to grant the accused bail on liberal terms, promising that he will not jump bail.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, assault and arson brought against him.
Oyo
Oba Abdulganiy Adekunle of Iseyin, Oyo State, has said that Oyo State Government’s plan to establish an international “Aso-Ofi’’ market in Iseyin would boost industrial, economic and social lives of the town and its surroundings.
The traditional ruler who said this while addressing newsmen in his palace described the plan as a great one.
Adekunle said that the plan when materialised would transform the entire Oke-Ogun region of the state into an enviable commercial melting pot.
According to reports, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State had stated that the market would be established to promote and showcase ‘Aso-Ofi’ to the rest of the world.
He said that the market would also boost the sales of aluminum pots produced in Saki, earthen wares at Okeho and local soap at Ipapo areas of Oke-Ogun.
Sokoto
The University Graduates of Nursing Science Association of Nigeria (UGONSA), has commended Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State for footing the medical bill of a cancer patient, Maryam Abubakar.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, made this known in a statement last Tuesday in Sokoto.
Abubakar, a member of the nurses association suffering from cancer of the liver, is due to undergo surgery in India.
Imam, in the statement said the association in a letter to Tambuwal, praised him for his ‘timely and invaluable support and assistance to save the life of Miss Abubakar’’.
“Our association and some kind-hearted Nigerians did their best within their limited capacity.
“The singular intervention of Sokoto State Government, under your able and altruistic leadership, earnestly made a crucial difference.
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.