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THE STATES

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Adamawa
The Pen, a political pressure group comprising members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, has expressed concern over the growing mob on legislators by some people.
The spokesman of the group, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri, said this during a news conference  in Yola.
He said that the particular attacks on some National Assembly members in Katsina, Bauchi and Kebbi States by mob were unnecessary.
According to him, the best way to deal with elected officials is through the ballot box.
“We are condemning, in strong voice, reported cases of attacks on some legislators in many states of the federation and call on the electorate to handle their grievances with their legislators with civility.

Benue
The Police in Benue State have confirmed the lynching of three suspected armed robbers by a mob in Adikpo in Kawabde local government council of the state.
Spokesman of the command,  an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident  in Makurdi.
Yamu told newsmen that the suspected robbers were lynched while carrying out a robbery operation at a petrol station in Adikpo.
He said that the manager of the station alerted the mob, while the robbers were still carrying out their operation in the early hours of Tuesday.

Borno
The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled the state at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency have returned home.
The Spokesman of the agency, Malam Abdullahi Umar, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri ,on Wednesday, that the figure was part of the 78,000 IDPs that fled the state to Cameroon during the period.
Umar said that the returnees were part of the 43,000 of the IDPs that signified interest to return home.
He said the IDPs were being kept in a camp at Banki in Bama local government area of the state.
He said that a team of SEMA officials had already visited the camp to assess their condition.

FCT
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, last Tuesday, restated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to the protection of human rights through strict adherence to professional policing.
Idris gave the assurance at the International Civil Society Seminar on Counter Insurgency organised by Global Amnesty Watch in partnership with  an NGO, Conscience Nigeria (CN), in Abuja.
The theme of the seminar was “ Counter Insurgency: Human Rights and Good Governance in the Context of the Nigeria Situation”.
He said that protection of human rights was a core function of the Nigeria police, adding that the force had constantly formulated policies and disciplinary measures that would galvanise its relationship with the public.

Jigawa
The Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, a Non Governmental Organisation, on Thursday, said it initiated training programmes to tackle maternal and infant mortality and malnutrition in rural communities.
The Programme Manager, Alhaji Aminu Inuwa, said this at a one-day training on safe motherhood organised by the foundation for community leaders in Malammadori local government area of Jigawa State.
Inuwa said that the training was to create awareness on the need for women to be encouraged to access antenatal and reproductive healthcare services in communities.
He added that the training was designed to expose the participants to the best medical practices to enhance healthcare delivery at the grassroots.

Kaduna
The Nigerian Army on Tuesday organised a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Southern Kaduna to explore ways of ending the recurring crisis in the area.
The  meeting, held in Kafanchan, was to seek alternative measures to complement the military in bringing about permanent peace to the area.
In a message to the occasion, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai, assured that the ongoing special operation tagged ‘Harbin Kunama II,’ was to engage the people in securing the area.
He said that the residents must resolve to live in peace and harmony to stem unwarranted loss of lives and property going on in the area for years.

Kogi
Kogi  State High Court Judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye has called on old students of secondary schools in the country to rise to the challenge of restoring the old glory of their alma maters.
He said such gesture could be in form of infrastructure, moral and educational development.
A Koton-Karfe Resident High Court Judge, Omolaye-Ajileye, made the call in Kabba at the re-union and award ceremony by the Old Students Association Steering Committee of the St. Barnabas Secondary School (SBSS), Kabba on Monday.
The jurist, who is also an alumnus of the school, said it was disheartening to see old students of institution who were in high and privileged positions while their alma maters faced moral and infrastructure decay.
He noted that the level of dilapidation of structures in many secondary schools, coupled with dwindling rectitude and general decay remained high.

Kwara
Prof Pius Abioje, of the Department of Religion, University of Ilorin, said false prophesy is against the tenets of Christianity.
Abioje said this  in Ilorin on Friday while delivering the 167th Inaugural Lecture of the University entitled: “Christian Prophets and other Prophets in Nigeria’’.
The expert on Religious Studies frowned at the trend which was becoming something else in Nigeria.
According to him, the false prophets have become a nuisance in the society, as they claim to perform wonders which they use in confusing unsuspecting Nigerians.
Abioje, who lectures in the Faculty of Arts of Unilorin, urged Nigerians not to be gullible and susceptible to their divination and prophesies.

Lagos
Chairman, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Israel Ajao, has said that the government-sponsored vigilante organisation was not in competition with the police in securing the state.
Ajao told journalists  in Lagos State last Tuesday that the Neighborhood Watch, recently re-launched by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was out to complement other security agencies.
Ajao, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), said that the new security outfit would collaborate with the police and other agencies in enhancing security in the state.
”Our main duty is to gather information and pass same to the police and other security agents that should work with such information.
“We are not to compete with the police, but to compliment them and other security agents.
”That is why all the security agencies are represented on the board of the corps,’’ said the LNSC chairman.

Niger
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Kabiru Rijau, said Nigerians must own up ongoing fight against corruption, to save the country from collapse.
Rijau said in an interview with journalists in Minna, last Tuesday, that those insinuating political sentiments to the war, were selfish and unpatriotic.
According to him, corruption is one of the factors responsible for the nation’s set back and must be fought to a standstill.
He commended the Federal Government for introducing the Whistle Blower policy, saying it would encourage more Nigerians to expose those who diverted funds meant for national development.
“Nigerians should wholeheartedly embrace the programmes in exposing public officers who derive pleasure in looting our treasury.

Osun
The Deputy Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Akintunde Adegboye has urged caretaker committee management nominees to see their appointment as a call to service the people, if cleared.
The members are being screened for appointment in the 30 local government and local council development areas in the state.
Adegboye gave the advice during the screening of the nominees at the plenary in Osogbo on Wednesday.
He also advised the nominees not see their appointment as an opportunity for self enrichment but as an opportunity to serve their communities.

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REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

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The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.
Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.
He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.
“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.
“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”
Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.
According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.
“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.
Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.
He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.
In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.
SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.
Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.
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Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

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The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.
The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.
Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.
Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.
“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.
She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.
Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.
She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.
According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.
She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.
Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.
While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.
“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.
According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.
“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.
Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.
He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.
According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.
Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.
Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.
He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.
“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.
According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.
In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.
Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.
He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.
According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.
Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.
He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.
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Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

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Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.
The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.
Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.
“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.
According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.
“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.
Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.
She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.
“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.
She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.
“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.
According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.
She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.
In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.
Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.
“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.
“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.
Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.
“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.
According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.
Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.
“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.
“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.
The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.
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