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THE STATES

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Adamawa

Commissioner for Health in Adamawa State, Dr Fatima
Atiku, said Isa Hamman, the patient who lost his kidney in an operation at a private clinic in Yola, was responding to treatment.
Atiku, in a statement made available to newsmen in Yola, said that the patient was referred to Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
According to her, Governor Muhammadu Bindow personally intervened in the matter.
She said that Hamman was taken to Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital personally by the governor in good faith and that his kidney transplant will be conducted soon.
“Available reports show that Isa Hamman condition is stable, and he is responding to treatment, while clinical examinations are still ongoing,” Atiku said.

Borno

The Borno State Police Command says that it has placed
the former spokesman of the Boko Haram sect, Ali Konduga, under psychiatric investigation.
This, the police said, followed Konduga’s display of abnormal behaviour since his arrest last week.
Mr Victor Isuku, the spokesman of the command, said this in a statement he issued in Maiduguri.
Isuku said that Konduga was arrested after a complaint by one Muhammadu Kala.
“On September 14, one Muhammadu Kala lodged a complaint at the GRA Police Station, Maiduguri, that Mallam Ali konduga of Gwange ward had trespassed into the premises of the house of Senator Muhammed Ndume.
“The DPO led a team of policemen to arrest the trespasser where he had gone to receive treatment for injuries he sustained as a result of a mob action,” Isuku said.

Ekiti

Ikole local government council in Ekiti State, has implored
traders and people patronising Ikole Main Market and other markets in the council area to make use of facilities provided in the markets.
Head of the Department of Environment in the council area, Mr Tunde Famuyisan, made this call while addressing some traders at the Ikole Main market recently.
He urged the market men and women to maximize use of latrine, dustbins and clinic provided in the market.
Famuyisan said the council made provision of these facilities to those visiting the market for one activity or the other; so that buying and selling would be carried out under good hygienic environment”.

FCT

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Mr Fillipo Grandi, said at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), that the commission was committed to working with world leaders in addressing refugees and migrants crises.
This is contained in a statement released in Abuja to newsmen by Mr HansonTamfu, the External Relations officer, UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nigeria.
Grandi, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Assembly said that the declaration marked a political commitment of unprecedented force and resonance.
He said that the UNHCR welcomed the adoption of the declaration by 193 governments at the UNGA first ever summit addressing the large movement of refugees and migrants.
“It fills what has been a perennial gap in the international protection system of truly sharing responsibility for refugees in the spirit of the UN Charter”.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA) says flood has killed 18 persons and destroyed 6,637 houses in about 19 local government areas in the state.
SEMA Executive Secretary, Alhaji Yusif Sani, said this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the agency in Dutse.
Sani said that the incidents occurred during the current rainy season.
He explained that the persons died in Gwaram, Dutse, Jahun, Gumel and Ringim local government areas of the state.
The executive secretary said that the flood destroyed 141 houses in Dutse; 419 in Jahun; 525 in Hadejia, 417 in Babura; 525 in Ringim; 822 in Gumel; 529 in Malammadori and 126 in Birninkudu local government areas.
Kaduna

Prof. Nasiru Shua’ibu of Biochemical Parasitology De
partment, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria has developed a new malaria vaccine to prevent high rate of death arising from malaria fever.
Speaking with newsmen in Zaria, Kaduna State, Shu’aibu said the new malaria vaccine was different from others currently in use.
Shu’aibu, who is currently working with the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Japan, said the result of the research on the new vaccine would soon be out for Nigerians to use.
“In a simple term that a layman can understand, the content of this malaria vaccine research is difficult, but let me try if I could simplify it, it is called DNA Vaccine.
“It is a new technology for discovery and delivery of vaccine against any infectious disease that was developed in the early to mid 1990s”.

Kwara

Head of Service (H0S), Kwara State, Mrs Zahra Omar,
said the recent discovery of polio outbreak in Nigeria was a disappointing development, despite all efforts to eradicate the disease.
She made the remarks during a courtesy visit to her office in Ilorin by the Rotary Club of Ilorin.
Omar, however, expressed optimism in the eradication of polio in the country.
She also commended the efforts of Rotary Club for assisting the state government in the areas of provision of water and eradication of polio.
Lagos

The Managing Director, Accion Microfinance Bank
(MFB), Mrs Olubunmi Lawson says the bank has partnered with a non-governmental group, JAKIN, to assist 500 vulnerable pupils in Lagos public schools.
Lawson told newsmen in Lagos that the gesture was to give hope and ensure brighter future to those at the bottom rung of the society.
According to her, the partnership tagged: “Dress a Child for School Project’’ is also to support UNESCO International Literacy Day marked on every September 8.
She said that it was also to check the increasing number of school dropouts.
Lawson assured that the gesture would be extended to vulnerable children in other parts of the country.
She said that the beneficiaries would get uniforms, sandals, bags, books and writing materials for 2016/17 academic session.

Niger

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, has ap
pealed to Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to help sustain peace at the grassroots in the state.
Bello made the appeal when he visited the Commandant-General of NSCDC, Mr Abdullahi Gana.
He said that the state, with the largest land mass in the country, needed deployment of more NSCDC personnel in certain local government areas.
Osun

A member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr
Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has advised government to invest in tourism in its effort to diversify the economy.
Oyintiloye, who is the House Committee Chairman on Information and Strategy, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo.
The lawmaker said it was important for government to invest in tourism as it grappled with putting the economy back on track.
According to him, the tourism sector is a money spinning industry and can be used to stablise Nigeria’s economy.
Oyintiloye, who said that the country was blessed with many tourist sites, said that such sites could help boost the economy if government paid serious attention them.
He argued that apart from the fact that tourism could boost the national economy, it could also provide jobs for people.

Oyo

A Consultant Pathologist at the University College Hos
pital, (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Femi Ogunbiyi, said on Tuesday that early health screening would reduce adult mortality in the country.
Ogunbiyi made the remark in an interview with newsmen, Ibadan.
He defined screening as “an examination or testing of a group of individuals to separate those who are well from those who have an undiagnosed disease or defect”.
The consultant pathologist said that screening included individuals with presymptomatic or unrecognised symptomatic disease.
“The objective of medical screening is to identify a disease in its pre-clinical stage and, therefore, hopefully still curable phase.
“Screening tests are somewhat unique in that they are performed on persons apparently in good health”.
Plateau

Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance
Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, has called on governors of the 36 States to adopt the scheme in order to achieve universal health coverage in Nigeria.
He made the call in Jos during the Progressive Governance Lecture Series held in Plateau State capital.
He said that the aim of the partnership between the NHIS and state governors was to extend healthcare to most Nigerians and also create strategies to improve health care financing across the states.
Yusuf said that the scheme had recorded low level of health coverage.
He said that most countries such as Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda had achieved over 50 per cent coverage of its citizens.

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Cleric Preaches Love As Deputy Governor, Chief Judge Grace Wedding In PH

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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.

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

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Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.
The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.
He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.
Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”
On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.
He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:
Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market
Construction and reconstruction of urban roads
Establishment of two sports centres
Healthcare interventions
Youth skills development programmes.
Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.
Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.
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