Nation
THE STATES

Adamawa
The Save Lives Foundation, an NGO, yesterday, said it was targeting one million vulnerable women and children for free medical assistance in Adamawa State.
The Programme Officer of the NGO in Adamawa State, Miss Tanso Maken, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yola.
Maken said that the NGO planned to carry out its medical outreach in the 21 local government areas of the state, noting that the outreach had already commenced in Ganye local government and that the turnout was encouraging.
She said the medical assistance which targeted mostly indigent women and children, would give priority to the insurgency-affected local councils in the state.
The programme officer said the returned Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the affected areas were in dire need of medical care, stressing that “our NGO’s objective is to affect mostly the vulnerable people.”
She urged the Adamawa Government to collaborate with the NGO to achieve the task of giving medical assistance to indigent communities.
She added that “Save Lives Foundation is immensely concerned about the health conditions of indigent communities.
Benue
Eight persons were feared dead following an attack by suspected herdsmen, on two villages in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, a police statement said.
The Spokesman of the Police Command in Benue State, ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed the attacks in a statement recently in Makurdi.
Yamu said the attacks on Akaa and Tse-Orlalu villages in Mbamar, Ugondo communities, were perpetrated by suspected herdsmen late last Sunday.
He said that the police were yet to establish the motive for the attack and that adequate personnel had been drafted to the villages to restore normalcy.
He said the attackers invaded the villages, killed eight people and injured many others.
FCT
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it has registered 321 visually impaired candidates for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Head, JAMB Information and Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Bwari yesterday.
Benjamin said that the figure was higher than the 201 candidates registered for the examination in 2016.
He said that adequate arrangement has been made for the visually impaired candidates to participate fully in the forthcoming UTME.
According to him, the board used to conduct the Computer Based Test (CBT) using Braille Apex Machine, but most of them complained about its usage.
Kwara
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has ordered residents of Alagbado Community in Ilorin to vacate the land allegedly encroached upon by the people.
NAF Coordinator, 303 Medium Airlift Group (MAG), Mr Adeniyi Mathew, told newsmen in Ilorin yesterday that the land was allocated to the Air Force in 1987.
Adeniyi, who presented the land chart to newsmen, said that 20 acres out of a total of 220 acres of the land belonging to NAF was encroached upon by the community.
He said that he was part of the delegation that visited Alagbado in 2010 to inform the community that the land belonged to NAF.
“Take it or leave it, the land belongs to the NAF; it has been so as far back as 1987 as you can see in the chart.
“They started encroaching on the land since 2008 and in 2010, I was part of the NAF team that went to the community to inform them of the encroachment,” he said.
Kogi
Kogi State acting Head of Service (HOS), Mrs. Kehinde Lawal, recently, advised the state’s striking medical doctors against placing monetary gains over service to humanity.
“Your calling is to save lives; monetary gains should be secondary,” Lawal said at a meeting with the health workers’ union and the management of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, in Lokoja.
She said that government had an excellent package for health workers in the state, but stressed the need to place effective service delivery above other considerations.
Lawal urged the union leaders to always channel their requests through her office for prompt action, “instead of embarking on strike”.
She appealed to the doctors to go back to work, promising that government would clear the backlog of salaries owed them “very soon”.
Lagos
A 25-year-old fashion designer, Jamiu Ayoade, has been shot dead by a trigger-happy police officer in Lagos, according to dependable sources.
The sources told newsmen that the police officer, who is believed to be a senior officer at Ijeshatedo Divisional Police Headquarters (name withheld) allegedly shot and killed Ayoade last Sunday evening in the area.
The incident which occurred at about 7.30 p.m. at No. 49, Wosilat Daudu Street, Ijeshatedo, also left two persons injured.
The deceased, Ayoade had gone to the area to attend a friend’s birthday party when he met his untimely death, one of the sources said.
It was learnt that the officer and his men had stormed the venue of the birthday party in two patrol vans at about 6. 30 p.m. and left after observing what the youths were doing.
Niger
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, has described the release of the 82 girls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Chibok, Borno in 2014 by Boko Haram insurgents as fulfilled campaign promise by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The CAN Chairman in the state, Rev. Mattew Echioda, said this in an interview with newsmen in Minna yesterday.
Echioda said the release of the girls would give hope to parents of the remaining girls who were still in captivity that their daughters would also be freed soon.
He also described the release of the girls as “gallant” and outstanding achievement by the Federal Government that should be commended by Nigerians.
Ogun
Personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, recently, killed a suspected smuggler at Sango-Ota in Ogun State.
Confirming the incident newsmen on telephone, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Bimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspected smuggler was killed during a gun duel.
Oyeyemi said that officers of the NCS had intercepted some smugglers at the toll gate in Ota.
They, however, resisted arrest and opened fire and in the exchange, the yet to be identified man was killed.
“There was a gun fire between the officials of the NCS and the smugglers at the toll-gate, Ota, Ogun State, that brought about the death of one of the smugglers,” he said.
The spokesman said that the police had, however, restored peace in the area and prevented loss of innocent lives.
Ondo
An Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State yesterday admitted a 35 year-old commercial motorcyclist to bail in the sum of N50, 000 over alleged dangerous driving.
The accused, Solomon Ikudairo, of no fixed address, is facing a three-count charge of dangerous driving, driving without a driver’s licence and driving an unregistered motorcycle on a public highway.
The Magistrate, Mr Banji Ayeomoni, who admitted the accused to bail, however, ordered him to produce one surety in like sum.
Osun
A Modakeke Magistrate’s Court in Osun State yesterday remanded three accused persons, Timileyin Muyiwa, 25; Sunday Oluwole, 19 and Ayomikusibe Olunlade, 19- in prison custody over alleged armed robbery.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ona Glory, told the court that the accused committed the offence on February 22, 2016 around 12:30 a.m. at Irebami Area of Modakeke in Ife East Area Council of Osun.
Glory said that the accused conspired with others now at large to commit the offence.
The prosecutor said that the three accused persons, while armed with dangerous weapons such as gun and machetes, robbed one Bosede Ayoola of her properties.
Plateau
The Duk Community in Pankshin local government Area of Plateau State has closed-up the well where four youths drowned on April 19.
The community also banned visiting irrigation farmers from the village.
According to its leader, Andrew Damulak, banning the visiting farmers will save the community from “more mysterious deaths”.
Recall that the youths – Tonzum Ngwalamba, Nentawe Leptak, Sati Tongleb and Ngompang Ngoshim – aged 18-25, drowned in the said well while trying to push the nozzle of a water pumping machine into it.
The first victim had tried to push the nozzle when he fell into the well.
The second victim jumped into the well to rescue the first, but did not come out; such rescue effort continued until the well swallowed four of the youths within a very short time.
Zamfara
The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would be part of dignitaries slated to commission multi-billion naira projects executed by Zamfara State Government to mark Governor Abdul’aziz Yari’s six years in office.
The Chairman, Anniversary Committee, Alhaji Lawal Liman, made the disclosure in Gusau yesterday while inspecting Danturai Government Day Secondary School, one of the projects to be inaugurated.
Liman, who is the state Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, said 34 different projects executed by the state government would be inaugurated.
“Some of the important personalities will comprise state governors, ministers, royal fathers and leaders of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.
According to him, the projects to be inaugurated include, roads, schools, hospitals, rural water supply and electrification among others.
Liman said the Army Command Secondary Schools established in the state and constructed by the state government, would also be inaugurated.
Nation
HYPREP Inducts 100 Ogoni Youths For Creative Arts Training

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.
Nation
Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

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.
Nation
Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

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.
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