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Adamawa

 

The Adamawa Government said it would promote health

tourism by inaugurating Adamawa-German Diagnosis Centre at Yola in 2013.

Governor Murtala Nyako made this known in Yola while receiving a traditional ruler, the Gang Wari of Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Sanda, who paid him homage.

Nyako said that the development would not only improve health service delivery in the state, but also generate revenue and reduce high cost of foreign health tourism.

“Latest high medical facilities including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and laboratory diagnostics facilities are provided at the centre and will start operation very soon,” Nyako said.

 

Bauchi

 

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has described the

death of the Emir of Dukku, Alhaji Haruna Rashid as a great loss not only to Dukku, Gombe State, but to the northern Nigeria as a whole.

He said that the late Emir had contributed immensely to the peace and unity of the region and the country as a whole while he was alive.

In a statement, Yuguda said that the fatherly advise of the octogenarian monarch would be missed by all.

“At times like this when the country is going through political transformation, advise from elder statesman like the late Emir was needed in order to shape the political future of the country.’’

 

Ekiti

 

One Emmanuel Ene last Thursday appeared before an Ado-

Ekiti Magistrates’ Court charged with stealing jewellery and money belonging to one Ojo Oke at Anisulowo Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, in Ekiti State.

Police prosecutor, Caleb Leranmo told the court that the accused committed the offence on November 30.

“The accused stole jewellery worth N1 million, 25 pounds sterling and 400 dollars, property of Ojo Oke, in the hotel.

Counsel to the accused, Mr Emmanuel Adedeji, prayed the court to grant his client bail, saying that he would not jump bail.

 

FCT

 

The Police in Abuja last Thursday arraigned a commercial

bus preacher, Chukwuemeka Okere, 36, before a Karu Senior Magistrates’ Court for alleged cheating and being in possession of stolen items.

Police prosecutor, Eze Okechuckwu told the court that on December 10, Okere, who resides in Nyanya Gwandara area of Abuja, lured Zamani Zuneya of Garki II, Abuja, to a hill in Kubwa under the pretence of preaching to her.

“While praying for Zuneya on the hill, he stole her bag containing two cell phones and N15,000.

“During police investigation, one of the cell phones was recovered from the accused,” he told the court.

 

Gombe

 

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Gombe

recently said that four persons died in an accident during Christmas celebrations in the state.

The Gombe State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Kuteb Galadima, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen.

Galadima, who attributed the accident to over-speeding, stated that it occurred on Christmas Day at Lafiyawo Village in the Akko Local Government Area of the state.

Galadima explained that the accident involved a Peugeot 406 car with the registration number: RBC 861 AA, which hit a tree a few kilometres outside the state capital.

 

Kaduna

 

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Kaduna

State, recently pledged to support Governor Mukhtar Yero in the restoration of peace and unity in the state.

A delegation of the party, comprising the Senator representing Kaduna Central, Sen. Sani Saleh, its state Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Yaro and other members gave the pledge while on condolence visit to the governor in Kaduna.

Saleh said the visit was to commiserate with the family and people in the state over the “sudden and shocking” demise of the late governor.

 

Kogi

 

The Legal Aid Council said that it provided free

legal representation to 5,063 persons in Kogi between 1993 and 2012.

A Senior Legal Officer in the council, Mrs Flora Imo, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen last Thursday in Lokoja.

She said that the free legal representation was in criminal and civil cases in High Courts and Magistrates’ Courts spread across the state.

The officer said that the council had also offered free legal advise to people and facilitated granting of bail to a number of suspects.

 

Kwara

 

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin,

Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, recently said the institution would integrate sign-language into its academic system.

Ambali said this when staff and students of the Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf (CSSD) visited him as part of activities to mark the International Day for the Disabled.

The vice-chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, Prof. Yisa Fakunle, said the university was doing what it could to support the centre.

Ambali, who gave an assurance that the university would ensure effective functioning of the centre’s equipment, said the introduction of sign-language was to foster effective lecture delivery.

 

Lagos

 

An economist, Dr Henry Boyo, recently advised

the Federal Government to pursue people-oriented policies in 2013 to reduce cost of living of Nigerians.

Boyo, the Chief Executive of Technol Systems Ltd., told newsmen in Lagos that many of the economic policies of government in 2012 were “not too people friendly“.

“The monetary profile of any country depends on its monetary policy model.

“In 2012, inflation ate up substantial part of people’s earnings in Nigeria, “ he said.

 

Niger

 

Governor  Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said the secu

rity threat by the Boko Haram group in the northern part of the country had stalled development in the region.

Aliyu made the remark during an interactive session with journalists at his residence in Minna.

He said that insecurity caused by the sect in the North had made it difficult for investors to invest in the region for fear of losing their investments.

“I am not satisfied with the slow pace of development in the northern region, but under my leadership as chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, we have given the region good leadership.

 

Osun

 

The Osun Commissioner for Health, Mrs Temitope Ilori,

says the state government has invited a team of ophthalmologists from Saudi-Arabia to carry out free eye surgery in the state.

Ilori, who announced this last Thursday at the treatment centre at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, said more than 2,000 people had been registered for the exercise.

She explained that the team would comprise of 20 experts from Saudi-Arabia and indigenous medical doctors on the ground.

The commissioner urged residents to register their names and ensure they were screened so as to ascertain their day of appointment and the condition of their visual problems.

 

Oyo

 

The Oyo State Government has collaborated with the Uni

versity of Ibadan on joint inspection of all public schools in the state.

The inspection is to ensure quality control, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Adetokunbo Fayokun, has said.

Fayokun, in a statement issued in Ibadan said that the state had begun to reap the dividends of the education summit organised earlier in the year.

She said that some of the recommendations made by the summit had been implemented, adding that there was improvement in the education sector in the state.

 

Plateau

 

Senator. Gyang Pwajok (PDP- Plateau North), has filed an

appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, against the December 20, nullification of his election by an Abuja Federal High Court.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, while delivering judgment in a matter filed by the Congress for Progress Change (CPC) against INEC and PDP, had nullified the October  6 by-elections and asked Pwajok to “stop parading’’ himself as senator.

The CPC had approached the court to determine whether the first respondent, INEC, had the power to reject the names of its candidate for the by-election.

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Rumuaholu Community Denies Land Grabbing Allegations, Accuses Obio/Akpor Chairman of Interference in Land Dispute

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The Ekeanyanwu family of Rumuaholu Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has strongly refuted allegations of land grabbing levelled against it, describing recent media reports as false, misleading, and deliberately fabricated.
The family made its position known during a press briefing held on Wednesday at the residence of Dr. Colonel Ogwumerum Eke in Rumuaholu. The briefing was attended by community leaders, stakeholders, and family representatives.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Dr. Eke dismissed claims attributed to the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Hon. Gift Worlu, which allegedly labelled the family as land grabbers. He described the allegations as baseless, frivolous, and lacking any factual foundation.
According to Dr. Eke, the Ekeanyanwu family remains the legitimate owner of the parcel of land known as Ohia Agbada, comprising approximately 6,000 plots situated along the Obiri-Ikwerre Airport Road corridor. He further maintained that Victory Estate, located within the disputed area, belongs exclusively to the Ekeanyanwu family and not to the Rumuosi Community as claimed by the council chairman.
Dr. Eke stated that ownership of the land had been affirmed by the courts, citing Case No. CCC/22/2015 at the Choba Customary Court. He explained that while the suit was instituted against another family in Rumuaholu, the Rumuosi Community sought to be joined in the matter but their application was rejected by the court.
He further disclosed that the family currently holds 15 subsisting court judgments in its favour relating to the disputed land, including judgments from the Customary Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal.
The family spokesman alleged that the Obio/Akpor council chairman, in collaboration with the local Anti-Land Grabbing Committee, was attempting to undermine the court decisions and dispossess the family of its land through what he described as “backdoor means.”
Dr. Eke accused the chairman of assuming the role of an appellate authority over matters that had already been conclusively determined by competent courts.
Expressing concern over recent developments, he alleged that individuals acting under the influence of the council chairman had destroyed properties worth millions of naira within Victory Estate. He described the action as a direct affront to existing court judgments and the rule of law.
Displaying copies of court judgments during the briefing, Dr. Eke questioned the rationale behind branding judgment creditors as land grabbers, insisting that those challenging the court rulings were the real offenders.
He called on members of the public to disregard what he termed misleading radio announcements purportedly made by the council chairman and urged government institutions and security agencies to uphold the sanctity of court judgments.
Also speaking at the briefing, Elder Prince Ndaokani, Principal Oji Owhor of Rumuaholu Community, supported the Ekeanyanwu family’s claims. He maintained that the disputed land originally belonged to Dr. Eke’s late father, who, according to Ikwerre native customary law, acquired ownership through the clearing and development of the land.
However, the allegations were dismissed by the Chairman of the Obio/Akpor Anti-Land Grabbing Committee, Chief Alex Wali, who responded on behalf of the local government council.
Chief Wali declined to engage directly with the claims made by Dr. Eke, stating: “That man cannot be gifted with our valued response to his tirades. People like that should not be in public but should be rotting in jail for heinous crimes against humanity.”
He maintained that nothing would prevent the council chairman from carrying out his constitutional responsibilities as the chief executive and chief security officer of the local government area.
According to him, the protection of lives and property remains a fundamental responsibility of government at all levels, and the council would continue to discharge its duties in that regard.
The dispute is the latest chapter in a long-running land ownership controversy in the area, with both sides maintaining opposing claims over the disputed property.
By Akujobi Amadi
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Asarama Kingdom Condemns Gruesome Murder of A Commercial Vehicle Driver

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The Asarama General Assembly in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has condemned the gruesome murder of a commercial vehicle driver by some identified criminal elements in the community.
It would be recalled that on Thursday the 28th of May  2026, the kingdom was thrown into mourning, following the gruesome murder of a commercial vehicle driver by some criminal elements
The Assembly which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt also called for the establishment of a Mobile police and police anti cultism departments  at the Asarama Police Division.
The Okangh Ama /Paramount Ruler of Asarama kingdom HRM king Appolus J Nteijaewaye who read the text for the briefing onbehalf of The Asarama General Assembly at the briefing said the community condemned in totality the gruesome incident.
He said the kingdom also extends its condolences to the bereaved family of the murdered driver, stressing that as a kingdom it would leave no stone unturned to ensure that such an incident never occur within it’s territorial space again.
The General Assembly also commended the prompt intervention of the Nigerian police Force which led to the arrest of some members of the criminal gang, adding that even though the crime was committed at Asarama, some of those allegedly involved were not indigenes of Asarama kingdom.
“As a kingdom we use the sober moment of this unfortunate incident to further commend the prompt reaction of the leadership and men of the Nigeria Police Force in Rivers state that led to their effective results aimed at eliminating criminality and deterring the evil ones in our society “
The Community also described the incident as a pointer to the level of vulnerability of not only Asarama kingdom but the entire society, against the background that the sanctity of life ought to be sacred and protected by individuals, groups, communities and governmental institutions”
Meanwhile ,The Asarama General Assembly has called for the establishment of a Mobile Police  as well as police anti cultism departments at the Asarama Police Division
It said this has become necessary inview of the strategic location of the kingdom as a gateway to the rest of Andoni communities and Opobo -Nkoro Local Government Area.
“Owing to the peculiarity of our geographical location especially the amphibious nature of Asarama kingdom, intricately linked with its neighbouring inter ethnic Ogoni and Opobo -Nkoro Local Government Areas in general and intra Andoni communities in particular, the relevant authorities should urgently approved special mobile police force,Anti cultism and Marin units to be attached to the Asarama Divisional headquarters”
The kingdom also decried the continuous neglect of the Asarama police Division, since it’s establishment adding that the division up till date,does not have a single firearm as well as enough personnel
It said this situation has exposed the community to activities of criminal elements.
“The sordid state of the only security outfit that ought to police our territory and beyond now seems to complicate the delicate insecurity that we are already exposed to, first as a nation and second as a people inhabiting an intricate amphibious gateway kingdom
“Consequently we hereby cry to the appropriate authorities to urgently equip the Asarama Divisional Police headquarters with adequate men arms and ammunition “the Community said.
John Bibor
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Rivers Commissioner Commends WAEC Conduct, Vows Sanctions for Malpractice

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The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.

Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.

The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.

“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.

Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state

He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.

“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.

While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.

He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process.

Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.

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