Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BARUWASSA) says it has spent over N480 million in providing 300 water and sanitation facilities in the state in the last four years.
The Programme Manager of the agency, Malam Garba Magaji, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi last Monday.
According to him, the projects, funded by UNICEF, have been provided in 50 primary schools each in Dass, Kirfi, Darazo, Giade, Zaki and Dambam Local Government Areas of the state.
He explained that the projects involved the provision of 50 water and sanitation facilities in each of the six benefiting local governments.
Ekiti
Farmers in Ekiti State have appealed to the Federal Government to ban the importation of rice as part of efforts to boost local production of the commodity.
The farmers, under the aegis of the Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSPIN), made the appeal on Monday in Ado-Ekiti at the inauguration of the state chapter of the group.
Mr Mabinuori Adeleke, National Vice-President of the association, insisted that placing a ban on rice importation would encourage local rice farmers to boost production.
He said that rice farmers in the state were contemplating sponsoring a bill at the National Assembly to outlaw the importation of rice.
FCT
The FCT Fadama office has so far disbursed N94.2 million to community farming associations in the territory, for assets acquisition, input support and capacity building.
Mr Usman Adangara, the Information Officer, FCT Fadama III Project, disclosed this on Monday in Gwagwalada in an interview with newsmen.
He said the office had also registered 732 Fadama User Groups (FUG) and 61 Fadama Community Associations (FCA) in the territory.
According to him, 41 out of the 61 FCA have developed their Local Development Plans(LDPs), adding that 22 of the plans had been approved by the Local Fadama Committees (LFCs), headed by the area council chairmen.
Gombe
The Radiation Medicine Complex at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gombe, was commissioned last Monday, with the Medical Director, Dr Aliyu Elnafaty, describing it as the most equipped and first of its kind in the country.
Elnafaty said on the occasion that the complex offered the latest technology in radiation and had been inspected by the regulatory authority and certified to meet the FMC’s compliance level.
He said the facility was long overdue, considering the prevalence of cancer-related afflictions in the North-East zone of the country.
“Before, patients with cancer had to travel to the National Hospital in Abuja or the Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital in Zaria for such services.
Kaduna
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday appealed to prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to be worthy ambassadors of the country.
Its Deputy Director in Kaduna, Mr Dennis Nwosu, told newsmen that the agency was undertaking an inspection at the airports to stop pilgrims from leaving the country with uncertified products.
He said only prescribed drugs for those on medication were allowed, and reminded the pilgrims that food and grains were prohibited.
“People can use this opportunity to smuggle illicit drugs which, when discovered, may tarnish the image of our country,” he said.
Kwara
A 38-year-old man, Tunde Isah, was last Monday arraigned in Ilorin for allegedly stealing a generator set worth N18,000.
The accused, of No 7, Ode Ajada, Agbaji area of Ilorin, was docked before an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court presided over by Mr Abdullahi Bello.
Isah pleaded not guilty to the one count charge of theft.
The magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N10,000 with two sureties in like sum.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), a complainant, Kehinde Ibrahim, of Olorunsogo, Gaa- Akanbi, Ilorin, reported the case to the police on October 17.
The report alleged that the accused came to the complainant’s shop to steal the generator worth N18,000.
Lagos
A motor spare parts importer, Osaretin Ehiogie, was yesterday arraigned in Lagos for allegedly defrauding a foreign-based Nigerian of automobile parts valued N6.2 million.
Ehiogie, 50, is standing trial before Chief Magistrate, Mrs Oyindamola Ogala of the Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The prosecutor, Insp. Eshiet Eshiet, told the court that Ehiogie had a business deal with one Roland Lawrence, based abroad, to supply him (accused) motor parts for sale in Nigeria.
Eshiet said the accused collected the vehicle parts at the Apapa ports and sold them, but refused to remit the proceeds to the complainant.
The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned till November 15 for further hearing.
Nasarawa
The Federal Government has been called upon to provide orphans and vulnerable children with free education from the primary to secondary school levels.
The Secretary, Association of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (AOVC), Nasarawa Chapter, Mr Ibrahim Samaila, made the call in Lafia on Monday.
He said the state governments should make a special financial commitment to enhance the activities of the association.
Presenting a paper entitled “Overview of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Nigeria” at a workshop, Samaila said that OVC constituted 31 per cent of the children population in Nigeria.
He said if nothing was done to curtail the situation, the number may double by the end of this year as projected by the UNICEF.
Samaila commended Gov. Akwe Doma for ensuring that such children were given hope and support in the society.
Osun
The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo last Monday remanded two persons, Kasim Adegbite, 24, and Dele Johnson, 35, for allegedly dealing in Indian hemp.
Adegbite and Johnson were arraigned for unlawfully dealing in 330g and 6.8kg of cannabis sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp respectively.
Plateau
The Dutch government is “very concerned” about the peace and security situation in Nigeria, the Royal Netherlands Embassy said yesterday.
Mr Bert Ronhaar, the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, made the remark during a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Sunny Tyoden.
“The Dutch government has a policy of promoting peace and security across the globe and we are particularly interested in peace in Africa and our major concern is Nigeria.
“That is why we spend tax payers’ money to fund peace and security projects in Nigeria by facilitating the functions of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Management and Peace Building in the University of Jos,” he said.
Sokoto
Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, the Sokoto State Governor, has urged the Federal Government to revive the nation’s agricultural sector.
Wamakko made the appeal in Sokoto last Monday when he kicked off the distribution of a N1 billion agricultural loan scheme, under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, the CBN-CACS of the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government has the wherewithal to revive the sector. This is being done in other parts of the world.
Yobe
Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe said last Monday that his administration would collaborate with religious groups to combat the escalating incidences of cholera in the state.
Speaking at the launch of a N20 million education appealed fund in Damaturu, Gaidam said the role of religious leaders was significant and necessary in creating awareness on hygiene.
He said the outbreak of cholera in the state was caused by peoples’ ignorance about cleanliness and non-compliance with environmental laws.
Earlier, the leader of Islamic group that organised the launch, Sheik Haruna Gashua, said it was organised to expand mosques and provide opportunities to educate the people.
He appealed to Muslims to assist the government in ensuring peace and stability in the state.
Zamfara
A suspected cholera outbreak in Government Girls Secondary School (GGASS), Gusau, has killed at least two students of the school.
The infected students were kept in an isolated area within the premises where they received treatments from medical personnel from the state ministry of health.
Gov. Mahmud Shinkafi paid a sympathy visit to the school last Monday.
Addressing the staff and students, Shinkafi wished the patients quick recovery and prayed to God to avert future occurrence.
He also prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead.
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.