Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), last Tuesday, expressed surprise that workers were owed 12 months salaries, and urged the people to “ask questions and demand answers”.
The party, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi, said that the state government had no reason to owe workers because it had received monies from “various fronts”.
“Benue has taken loans. It has collected the Paris Club Refunds and received bailout funds from the Federal Government. The regular federal allocations and Internally Generated Revenue have also been coming in.
“In the past two years, much monies have entered the state account; Benue has no reason to owe workers. We must ask questions and demand answers,” former interior minister, Abba Moro, who chaired the meeting, said.
He challenged the people to insist on prudent management of resources to enable government meet its obligations.
Borno
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) last Thursday urged residents of Maiduguri not to panic over spate of aircraft hovering the sky at night in the metropolis.
Spokesman of NAF 105 Composite Group, Maiduguri, Squadron Leader Obi Obassi, said that the flying was part of routine exercise.
Obassi said that the service had intensified training at night time, adding that it was imperative to inform members of the public about the exercise so as to avoid exposing them to fear.
“It has come to the notice of 105 Composite Group, Nigerian Air Force, that residents of Maiduguri are expressing fear over our aircraft that flies at night”, he said.
Ekiti
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ekiti State Command, last Tuesday, said it had destroyed 246 tonnes of cannabis sativa (weeds) in the state.
The Commander of the agency, Alhaji Bage Bamaiyi, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti.
According to scientists, cannabis sativa, otherwise known as Indian hemp, is a drug obtained from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant which is smoked or chewed for its psychoactive properties.
It produces euphoria and relaxation whose repeated use may lead to psychological dependence.
He said the command took necessary steps to uncover 17 cannabis sativa farms at Ode-Ekiti, in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State but that the peddlers were not found in their hide-outs.
FCT
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kuje Unit Command, last Thursday, urged school bus drivers in the area to drive carefully and avoid the use of expired tyres to prevent road crashes.
The Kuje Unit Commander Mr Igbogbo Solomon, made the call in an interview with newsmen while speaking on the activities of the unit.
Solomon stressed the need for school bus drivers to adhere strictly to traffic rules to ensure the safety of the children.
He reminded them of the dangers of using expired tyres and the benefits of constant vehicle maintenance.
“There is the need to ensure safety on our roads and ensure that school bus drivers adhere strictly to road traffic rules to prevent road accidents.
Jigawa
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Jigawa State chapter, has demanded justice over the alleged killing of a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Dutse by security operatives.
The NBA Chairman in the state, Baffa Alhassan, spoke last Wednesday while reacting to the alleged killing of one Hussaini Andaza by personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Alhassan said the use of excessive force by security personnel was totally unacceptable to the association.
He urged the Police and the NSCDC to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
Kogi
Director-General, Kogi State Bureau of Information Services, Mr Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, has offered scholarships to 35 orphans from various communities in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Abdulmalik announced the gesture recently in Ihima, at the grand finale of Ihima Students Union 2017 Spelling Bee, Quiz and Debate Competition.
He said that the scholarship would cover the primary and secondary education of the beneficiaries.
Abdulmalik also announced that he would pay next term’s school fees for all students that participated in the spelling, quiz and debate competitions which he sponsored as a pet project to boost educational growth.
Kwara
The police in Kwara State are on the trail of an Ilorin-based Islamic cleric, who allegedly exhumed the corpse of his late friend for ritual purpose.
The cleric, a resident of Eleran compound in Oloje area of Ilorin and said to be in his 30s, allegedly exhumed the remains of his childhood friend last Tuesday, seven days after his death.
A source, who confided in newsmen said that the community became aware of the development when the odour of the decomposing body permeated the area.
He told newsmen last Wednesday in Ilorin that members of the community had to embark on a search when the odour became unbearable.
Lagos
A 26- year-old man, Okechukwu Mgbemgasa, who allegedly defiled his neighbour’s daughter, was last Thursday charged before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
He is facing a one-count charge of defiling a nine-year-old girl.
The accused is an unemployed man and a resident of Ishashi town, a suburb of Lagos.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Raphael Donny, told the court that the offence was committed on July 21, at the residence of the accused.
Donny said that the accused saw the girl in the toilet and took advantage of the situation and defiled her.
“It was the cry of the girl that alerted some neighbours who raced to the scene, and the accused was apprehended.
Nasarawa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),Nasarawa State Command, says it has trained over 400 personnel on arms bearing this year to curb activities of vandals in the state.
The Commandant of the corps, Mr Lawan Bashir-Kano, disclosed this to newsmen in Lafia, last Thursday.
Bashir-Kano said that the corps was determined to rid the state of vandals and other criminal elements.
He said the first batch of the arms-bearing personnel were trained earlier in the year in collaboration with the 177 Guards Battalion of the Nigerian Army.
Niger
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, last Wednesday, inaugurated a storey-building containing 18 units of two bedroom flats for non-commissioned officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Minna, Niger State.
Abubakar inaugurated the building at the Air Force base, Minna.
He said that the Air Force had dedicated the facility to late Lance Corporal Tanko DJ who died during operation Zaman Lafiya on April 28, 2016 in the North-East.
“This is aimed at enhancing the morale of Nigerian Air Force officers and men in service.
“This is to assure you that your supreme sacrifice to our fatherland will never go in vain,” he said.
He said that NAF was committed to the well being of its personnel, hence creating enabling environment for their effective service delivery to the country.
Abubakar, who was represented by the Chief of Administration, AVM Lawal Alooma, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work.
Osun
An Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun State last Wednesday, remanded in prison a businesswoman, Uche Portia, with her five-month-old baby, pending the perfection of her bail condition.
Portia, 29, is facing a charge of fraud and stealing.
The Magistrate, Mrs Dorcas Ajiboye, had granted the accused N200, 000 bail with one surety in like sum.
She said the surety must swear to an affidavit of means and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
In addition, the surety must produce three years tax clearance and provide two recent passport photographs.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Sunday Osanyintuyi, told the court that the accused committed the offences on July 16 at Igboye House, Ile-Ife.
Yobe
Senator Mohammed Hassan (APC-Yobe South), recently promised to give N20,000 as scholarship to 880 undergraduates from 44 wards in his constitutency.
Hassan made this known at an interaction with newsmen in Potiskum after the commissioning of various projects.
Hassan, who is the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the beneficiaries would be selected from students studying in different institutions of higher learning.
The lawmaker added that he would also pay the salaries of staff of Mohammed Hassan Arabic and Islamic School in Arikime apart from the provision of uniforms to the students.
Hassan pledged to donate N2.5 million for the rehabilitation of Fatahul Rahaman Islamic School in his constituency, in line with his conviction that education is one of the greatest legacies to bequeath the future generation.
The Presiding Bishop of Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, Bishop Victor Uzosike, has described love as the bedrock of human existence, family stability and societal harmony, stressing that without love, nothing meaningful can thrive.
Bishop Uzosike made this assertion while speaking to journalists during the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Praise Uzosike, to Architect Chibuzor Akubueze on Saturday, December 20, 2025. The solemnisation was held at the Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, and was attended by dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond.
According to the cleric, love is not only the foundation of relationships but also a powerful force that determines the success of individuals, families and communities.
“If you do not love a place, that place will not bless you. If you do not love your children, they will not be useful to you. If you do not love your family, your family will become a strange island to you. What you do not love, you do not have. Love is the key,” he said.
Reflecting on his family’s journey, Bishop Uzosike said God’s love had sustained them through seasons of challenges and triumphs, noting that unity had remained their greatest strength.
“We have stayed together as one family. God has shown us love in miraculous and mysterious ways, especially during difficult times,” he stated.
Describing the wedding as an amazing and beautiful experience, the bishop expressed appreciation for the show of love from his daughter’s friends, many of whom travelled from the United Kingdom and Ghana to attend the ceremony. He revealed that some of them personally paid for their flights and accommodation, which he described as a rare display of genuine friendship.
He also disclosed that his first daughter, who lives in Manchester, United Kingdom, with her husband, could not attend the wedding due to tight schedules, but noted that she remains happily married and fulfilled.
While thanking guests for honouring his family with their presence, prayers and goodwill, Bishop Uzosike said he felt proud and grateful to God.
“One of the greatest gifts God can give to a man is children who are sound in all ramifications. My children can see, hear, speak and walk. That alone is enough reason to be grateful,” he said.
He praised the bride, describing Praise as an exceptional achiever who had distinguished herself academically. According to him, she completed secondary school at 15, graduated with First Class honours at 19, and earned distinctions in her MBA as well as her first and second master’s degrees.
“For a long time, people believed that highly educated women may not marry early or at all. Today, Praise has proved otherwise. She has made her mother and me very proud,” he said, describing her as a rare gem.
Bishop Uzosike also expressed joy over his son-in-law, whom he described as God-fearing, disciplined and professionally sound.
“He is well brought up, passionate about God and morally upright. His parents did a great job. My wife, Pastor Esther, also did an excellent job,” he added.
The wedding ceremony attracted prominent personalities, including the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu; the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemeyie; and several senior clerics.
Bishop Fidelis Ugbong officiated the solemnisation, while Apostle Chika Onuzo delivered the sermon, identifying communication, sex and money as key factors that can strengthen or weaken marriages.
Prof. Ngozi Odu also prayed for the couple and paid glowing tributes, drawing admiration from attendees.
The reception, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Port Harcourt, was equally colourful. Justice Matilda Ayemeyie proposed the toast, describing marriage as not always a bed of roses and emphasising patience, commitment and understanding.
The event was chaired by Chief Henry Nwabugo and attended by notable personalities, including retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili; Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey; Hon. Otunba Jumbo; Nze Best Anele; and Prof. Henry Ogiri, among others.
Guests were entertained with dance performances by the couple, while the parents’ outing added elegance to the celebration. The master of ceremonies, Ambassador Kingsley, kept the audience engaged with humour and interactive sessions.
Overall, the wedding was a remarkable blend of spirituality, culture and celebration, marked by love, joy and unforgettable moments.
Nation
2027: APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu’s Victory …Says Bayelsa Stakeholders Supporting President en masse … IPAC Knitted Together, Working In Synergy With His Office
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), in Bayelsa State and Special Adviser to the State Governor on Inter-Party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure landslide win in the 2027 Presidential polls.
The Governor’s Aide stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital on Wednesday while fielding questions from newsmen against the backdrop of Tuesday’s pioneer Stakeholders meeting of the party convened by the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri as leader of the Party in the State upon his recent defection late last year.
He averred that Party stakeholders in the state were prepared to give the President the massive support needed to return elected, come 2027 following his sterling trajectory of performance and qualitative leadership prowess.
Dr Suokiri stressed that the reason for the governor’s swapping of party was in the best interest of the state, while also noting that the governor took the right decision as there was no need continuing with opposition politics even as the state has to align with the national government for rapid socioeconomic and political advantages for the state and its people.
“Governor Diri’s defection like you’ve personally heard him saying was for the best interest of our state, Bayelsa. When you’ve a President performing well at the national level and being very supportive to your state as a governor, I don’t think you’ve to be in an opposition party anymore, but rather align with the centre.
“Diri is a bridge builder. He is at peace with everybody and willing to work with all, irrespective of party affiliations or political differences for the interest of the state.
“As Stakeholders we’ve resolved to collectively work to return President Tinubu elected for second term in 2027. And you can see the Governor is not pressuring anybody or the structure of his former party, the PDP to defect like he has done.
“The PDP structure in the state is still intact, and for the APC, his new Party even as current leader in the State, he has been working with the structure and everybody he met on ground, hence you can see that the APC Caretaker Committee led by Dr. Dennis Otiotio has been maintained at the pioneer Stakeholders meeting convened by the Governor.
“But you must also know like you’ve seen and I’ve previously said that Governor Diri has outperformed expectations of Bayelsans in all sectors, be it economy, infrastructure, health, education, etc.”, he said.
Meanwhile, as against insinuations that some political parties were not working with the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations, the Governor’s Aide has revealed that as it were currently, all the 19 registered political parties with presence in the state are working in unity with his office as members of the Inter-party advisory council (IPAC).
“IPAC is working in unity with my office. Before the Governor’s defection the only party that wasn’t working with my office was the APC. But since after his formal defection, the APC and even those other parties that were either sympathetic to the APC, the governor’s new party or the PDP, his former Party are all now working together with my office as members of IPAC”, Suokiri added.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
