Nation
THE STATES
Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sani Sidi (right) and Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State (2nd right), sympathising with the victim of Gombe ‘s multiple bomb explosion, during their visit at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe on Friday. Photo: NAN
Adamawa
The police in Adamawa State have arrested four sus
pected kidnappers believed to be terrorising the residents of Yola and its environs.
A statement by Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Othman Abubakar, said two AK 47 rifles and sixty rounds of ammunitions were found with the suspects at the time of arrest.
It said they were responsible for the recent kidnap of Adamawa House of Assembly member, Alhaji Usman Adamu and Sarkin Tsafta of Adamawa, Alhaji Aliyu Aminu.
It added that the gang was also responsible for the kidnap of Wilson Gundiri, brother to Marcus Gundiri, governorship candidate of SDP in the last general elections.
The statement said the suspects were undergoing investigation at the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Bauchi
Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has
urged journalists working in the state to always abide by the ethics of their profession.
The Governor made the call in Bauchi when a delegation of the Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited him.
He advised them to shun reports that would mislead members of the public and threaten the peace of the state
The governor pledged to provide the necessary support that would enable journalists discharge their duties without hindrance.
On the payment of weigh-in allowances to staff of state-owned media outfits, the governor said that he was yet to be briefed on the issue by the appropriate authorities.
Benue
The Chairman, Benue NGO Network, (BENGONET), Mr
Justin Gbagir, has advised Governor Samuel Ortom to conduct an audit of civil servants in Benue State to weed out ghost workers and reduce monthly wage bill.
Gbagir newsmen in an interview in Makurdi that the current wage bill of N3.7 billion being incurred by the state was unacceptable.
He said the audit would determine the actual staff strength of the state, saying that a lot of administrative lapses in the last regime in the state, might have been responsible for the huge amount.
He commended Ortom for his management of the resources of the state, urging him to continue the good work.
“What he (Ortom) has done shows an improvement over what we witnessed in the past eight years in this state.
FCT
The Department of State Services (DSS) has reassured
Nigerians of its readiness to check activities of criminal gangs in the country.
This is contained in a statement by the department, signed by Mr Tony Opuiyo in Abuja
It assured Nigerians that it would not relent in its efforts to checkmate the activities of any criminal gang that terrorised innocent citizens across the federation.
The statement urged members of the public to volunteer useful information that would assist the service in apprehending criminal gangs, promising that such information would be treated with ”utmost confidentiality and dispatch”.
It said that any suspect arrested by the service would be arraigned in courts in accordance with the law, adding that efforts were on to apprehend fleeing members of some kidnap gangs and others hiding across the country.
It disclosed that it had arrested some criminals in some states across the country.
Gombe
Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, has do
nated undisclosed amount of money to 48 victims of the recent Gombe bomb blast admitted at the Federal Teaching and Specialists’ Hospital (FTH), Gombe.
Jibir member representing Dukku/Nafada Federal constituency of Gombe State, Hajiya Aisha, presented the money Saturday in Gombe,on behalf of the First Lady.
Jibir told the victims that she was sent by the president’s wife to commiserate with them and give them a token assistance.
“The president’s wife was told about your conditions and being a caring mother, she decided to assist.
“The amount is just a token to help relieve you of the suffering you are encountering.
“She also prayed for the soul of those that lost their lives in the blast, to rest in peace,” she told the victims.
Jigawa
Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State has said
that it immunised 111,372 children against polio virus during the recent round of polio immunisation.
The Manager, National Programme on Immunisation for the area, Alhaji Suraj Muhammad, told newsmen in Dutse last Sunday the council received 121,000 doses of Oral Polio Vaccines and used 119,040.
He said 150 non-compliance cases were recorded out of which 142 cases were resolved and eight cases pending.
Muhammad said that the non-compliance cases would have resulted in the non-immunisation of 282 children, but its resolution led to 272 children being immunised.
Kebbi
The wife of the Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Zainab Atiku,
has donated drugs and food stuff to people living positive and drug addicts in Zuru Emirate of Kebbi state.
The donation was presented in Zuru to Sani HIV/AIDS Trust Fund, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) established by the Emir of Zuru, Alhaji Sani Gomo II.
Atiku told the Emir that the donation was to reduce hardship faced by the victims, make them have a sense of belonging, as well as erase the pain of stigma.
She pledged to sustain her support to the victims and other under privileged members of the society, calling on other privileged persons to do same.
In his remarks, the Emir of Zuru, Alhaji Sani Gomo II, commended the donor and called on other members of the public to emulate her by providing employment, material and financial support to the victims.
Lagos
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria
(NAPTAN) last Friday urged state governments indebted to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to pay up, to avoid jeopardising the children’s future.
NAPTAN’s National Coordinator Babs Animashaun made the plea in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
WAEC had on July 27, threatened to withhold results of thousands of students from 19 states, who participated in the May/June WASSCE, over non-payment of their registration fees.
WAEC said that the affected state governments were indebted to the council to the tune of over N4 billion.
Nasarawa
Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has of
fered employment to 10 persons out of 40 persons living with HIV/AIDs who had just concluded a skills acquisition programme in the state.
Al-makura announced the gesture last Saturday in Lafia at the 5th graduation of beneficiaries of the programme, trained at Mother and Child Care Enhancement Foundation, a pet project of Mrs Salamatu Umaru-Almakura.
About reports that 40 beneficiaries were trained in different skills, including tailoring, knitting, hairdressing, interior decorations and catering.
He said that providing employment to people living with HIV/AIDs was to give them a sense of belonging as well as to improve their standard of living.
Plateau
The Transition Interim Chairman of Bokkos Local Gov
ernment of Plateau State, Mr Luka Makut, has urged workers to be committed and diligent in the discharge of their duties.
Makut gave the charge in Bokkos as he took over the mantle of leadership of the council.
”As workers, you are the engine room of the council, therefore, it behoves on you to be diligent and hardworking to assist me in my quest to transform the area.
”I need your cooperation in my drive to ensure that Bokkos Local Government becomes one of the well-developed councils in Plateau, ” he said.
The new council boss pledged to do his best in improving the living conditions of the good people of Bokkos.
According to him, the little resources of the area will be fully utilised to transform the council and to give workers welfare priority attention.
Sokoto
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has warned
middlemen to steer clear of fertilisers purchased by the state government.
Tambuwal spoke in Bodinga Local Government Area when he inaugurated the sale of the 6,600 bags of NPK and Urea brands of fertlisers allocated to the council area.
Represented by Alhaji Mainasara Ahmed, Permanent/Clerk of the House of Assembly, Tambuwal said that 3,975 bags of fertilisers would be sold only to small-scale farmers.
He said that the remaining would be sold to large-scale farmers, traditional and religious leaders, politicians, and civil servants who engage in farming activities.
Tambuwal warned that the state government would not fold its arms and allow some unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements to prevent the genuine farmers from getting the subsidised commodity.
According to him, the NPK and Urea brands will be sold to the farmers at the highly subsidised prices of N1,700 and N1,800 per bag, respectively.
Zamfara
Over 10,000 people have been treated and discharged
in Sokoto State in the past two years under free medical treatment programme of the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN).
The National President of the Association, Dr. Salisu Isma’il, stated this recently in Gusau while fielding questions from newsmen in Gusau, as part of activities of the 16th National Scientific Conference and National General Meeting of the association.
Dr. Isma’il said that the beneficiaries comprised men and women in Sokoto metropolis and some neighbouring local government areas.
“The treatment was part of the assistance rendered by the association as we always work towards assisting patients, especially those without the means to foot the bills of their medical treatment.
“We also organise seminars and workshops on health related issues for our members and other community members, conduct enlightenment campaign with the aim of improving knowledge and understanding of the people on health related issues”, he said.
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.