Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested a 24-year-old tricylist, Isah Ma’azu for allegedly snatching 15 cell phones from housewives in Maiduguri. The Commandant of the Corps, Ibrahim Abdullahi disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
Abdullahi said that the suspect was apprehended by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and handed over to the Corps.
He said the suspect had swindled 15 cellphones and other valuable items from married women in the metropolis.
He explained that the suspect was disguising as an errand boy and going to the victims’ matrimonial homes under the pretext of delivering shopping or food items from their husbands.
FCT
The Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu will speak at the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria’s maiden anti-corruption workshop scheduled for November.
A statement by ALGON last Tuesday in Abuja said that former Secretary-General of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani would also speak at the occasion.
The statement signed by the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of ALGON, Mr Odunayo Ategbero said that the workshop would hold from November 9 to November 10 at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja. Ategbero said that Magu would take the anti-corruption awareness to the grassroots as he would speak to principal operators of the 774 local governments of the federation.
Kebbi
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it has provided relief assistance to the recent Kebbi State flood victims. It could be recalled that about 100 households were affected by the flood in Dole-Kaina area of Dandi Local Government Area of the state sometime in September.
The Director-in-charge of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Paul Ohenmu who presented the relief materials to the victims in Birnin Kebbi last Tuesday, said the assistance was meant to alleviate their sufferings.
“This is just a token to alleviate your suffering; we know that it will not be enough to take care of the disaster, but just for you to know that the Federal Government sympathises with you,” Ohenmu said.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government has described as false, rumours that some unidentified men are infecting children with monkey pox virus in schools in the guise of vaccination.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu in a statement by his media aide, Mr Audu Haruna last Tuesday in Lokoja said that government had investigated the claim and found that it was untrue.
According to him, “the rumour is baseless and unfounded, as it is similar to the rumour that gripped Abia, Enugu and Imo a few days back.’’
“The only parts of Kogi where we have an ongoing vaccination exercise is in Yagba West, which will soon be extended to two contiguous wards in Yagba East Local Government Area.
Kwara
A Librarian in the Kwara State Library, Mr Yisa Eleshinnla has urged the State Government to restore the electronic library (e-library) in the library.
Eleshinnla told newsmen in Ilorin last Tuesday that the state e-library had been down for the past seven years and pleaded for its resuscitation. According to him, e-library is needed to enhance students’ performance in their academic fields of study, especially at this present computer age.
government has included the innovation project of the library in the state budget. He attributed the non-functioning of the e-library to mismanagement of facilities and equipment. “But, we have written a lot of memos to the government on this e-library project, but there has not been any positive response.
“E-library has to do with laptops, Internet and stable electricity, but they are all not working”, Yisa said.
Lagos
A creative expert, Temitope Olagbegi has identified too much concentration on politics and entertainment as major factors distracting youths from academic pursuit.
Olagbegi, the Creative Director, Sixth Sense, Lagos, in an interview with newsmen in Lagos said “it has negative impact on their intellectual development’’.
She spoke on the sidelines of the Guardian of Hope (GOH) Foundation Excellence Award for Medical and Surgery Emergency Workers of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. According to her, the over-concentration is luring more youths to the “Get Rich Quick Syndrome’’, which most youths are now embracing in to the detriment of their integrity and diligence.
Nasarawa
A first class traditional ruler in Nasarawa State, Dr Ayuba Audu has advised parents against early marriage of their female children to enable them acquire quality education. Audu, the Zhe Migili of Migili nation, Nasarawa State gave the advice last Tuesday in an interview with newsmen in Jenkwe, Jenkwe Development Area of the state.
He appealed to parents and guardians to strive to provide high-quality education for their female wards for the overall development of the country. The Zhe Migili cited the example of Prof. Dinatu Iwala of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, who became the first female professor of the Migili people to buttress his position.
Niger
The Niger State Child Rights Protection Agency has announced the arrest of eight persons suspected of raping four girls in Minna. The Director-General of the Agency, Mrs Mairam Kolo, told journalists last Tuesday that the victims were teenagers hawking wares on the street.
She gave the names of the suspects as : Yahaya Yakuso (50) Yusuf Idris (35) Tukur Buhari ( 35) Mohammed Yusuf, (25) Musa Ibrahim (35) Nasir Abubakar (35) Isah Garba (29) and Ibrahim (30). According to her, the suspects were arrested following series of surveillance by the agency’s officials and tip off from other stakeholders that a gang of rapists were sexually abusing the girls.
Ogun
The Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Dr David Oyedepo has advised tertiary institutions to train thinkable leaders that would provide immediate solutions to the nation’s current challenges. He said that these leaders must “first turn themselves into critical thinkers to reproduce young scholars that will sustain that thinking culture.”
Oyedepo gave the advice at the 54th Meeting of Committee of Deans of Postgraduate Schools (CDPGS) in Nigerian Universities held in his institution last Tuesday.
Ondo
The 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Akure has debunked rumours of harmful vaccination being conducted by some people believed to be soldiers in Ondo State.
There was pandemonium in primary and secondary schools in the state which made parents and guardians to withdraw their children and wards, when rumours filtered in that harmful vaccination was being administered on children.
The Brigade’s Spokesperson, Major Ojo Adenegan said this in a statement issued last Tuesday in Akure.
”The attention of 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure has been drawn to the fake information making rounds in Ondo State that soldiers are administering poisonous vaccine on pupils and students of primary and secondary schools in the state,” Adenegan said.
Plateau
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Plateau State chapter has decried the lack of unity among Christians, and declared that the travails of the faithful would only worsen if the Church remained divided.
“The Church today is faced with a lot of problems, but the major one is lack of unity. The challenges are massive; we can only tackle them if we are united and speak with one voice,” Dr. Soja Bewarang, its Chairman, said on Tuesday.
Bewarang spoke at the 2017 Unity Service and Prayer, organised for Christians in the Central Senatorial Zone of the state, and held in Bokkos.
The service, an annual event held in the three senatorial zones of Plateau, is targeted at bringing all Christians together to encourage them to pray for peace, progress and tranquility.
Sokoto
The outgoing UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office for Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States, Mohammed Muhuiddin says that there is over 50 per cent decrease in number of out-of-school children in Sokoto State. Muhuiddin made the disclosure last Tuesday at a reception organised in his honour by the Sokoto State Government after the completion of his tour of duty. He said that the number of out-of-school children in Sokoto State which he noted was the highest in the country, had dropped from 69 per cent in 2015 to 37 per cent in 2017.
“The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) for 2016 to 2017 showed that Sokoto State has made appreciable progress, resulting in over 50 per cent cut in the number of out-of-school children.
“It gladdens my heart, seeing the commitment shown by the political leadership and the technical teams set up by the government to work with UNICEF and partner with various sectors for the children of the state”, he said.
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.