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FCTA Tasks Stakeholders On Flood Mitigation In FCT

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The Permanent Secretary and Acting Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Olusade Adesola, has called for proper zoning of flood plains in the Territory to mitigate flooding through restrictions on building in such areas.
Adesola made the call, Monday, while speaking at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting on flood mitigation in the FCT, where a total of 43 stakeholders attended the meeting.
Adesola said this would increase the amount of land where water infiltration can occur and therefore lessen surface runoff, which usually ends up in flood.
While appealing to residents to desist from buying lands on waterways, he said, “Always confirm the situation of the land before you buy. Desist from buying lands from Chiefs and area councils. They cannot allocate lands”.
The Permanent Secretary challenged engineers in the country to come up with innovative solutions for the utilisation of flood waters for economic activities like tourism and all-year farming rather than allowing it to destroy lives and property.
Also speaking, the Director General, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Dr. Abbas Idriss, said FEMA intends to strengthen its volunteers, especially its Marshalls who work in the communities.
“We are making arrangements with Jabi Lake and Moshood Abiola Stadium to train our volunteers and local divers on modern techniques”, he stated.
Dr Idriss appealed to local councils to strengthen the local emergency committees in view of their critical roles at the grassroots.
In a goodwill message, the Director General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Clem Nze, informed, that the 2023 flood outlook placed the FCT in a high probable flood risk area as well as two area Councils in moderately flood risk areas.
Presenting the Abuja Masterplan and Flood Control Measures, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Engr. Hadi Ahmad, said additional seven bridges were required to address the annual flooding in Galadimawa District.
Represented by the Deputy Director, Engineering Services, Engr. Richard Yunusa Dauda, Ahmad said the agency was carrying out a total Hydrological survey of the City to identify all sources of water, runoff, and erosion control measures.
Earlier, the Director of Forecasting Response and Mitigation, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, explained that the meeting was intended to come up with mitigative measures to ensure that no life is lost to flooding this year.

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Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

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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.

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Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

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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.

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CBEX Resumes Operations Despite SEC Ban, N1.2trn EFCC Probe

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Despite the alleged N1.2 trillion digital trading fraud that reportedly affected over 600,000 Nigerians, the embattled Crypto Bridge Exchange trading platform, accused of these acts, has resumed operations, announcing fresh withdrawal options in a move to restore investor confidence.
Two traders on the CBEX platform confirmed to The Tide’s source that the digital trading firm has quietly resumed operations, allowing new users to register, trade, and withdraw profits, despite ongoing investigations by regulatory agencies.
According to the sources, an insurance verification process and an external audit of the company’s financial records are currently underway to ascertain the actual amount lost in the scheme, which collapsed in April.
They added that existing investors, many of whom have been unable to access their funds for weeks, will be able to take out their funds starting from June 25, 2025, when the audit is expected to be concluded by an insurance firm based in the United Kingdom.
This development comes barely weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission declared the platform illegal, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed an ongoing investigation into the firm’s operations.
CBEX, a digital investment platform, offered investors 100 per cent profit after 30 days of purported AI trading. The trading platform started operations in 2024 after receiving registration approval from the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 25, 2024, and the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering on January 16, 2025.
No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.2tn after it collapsed on April 14, 2025.
Miffed by the development, the EFCC declared eight persons wanted for promoting the programme. They include Johnson Oteno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro, Serah Michiro, Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede.

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