Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Only two small scale enterprises in Bauchi have met the Centre Bank of Nigeria guidelines for its intervention loans to operators in the sector, an official has said.
The Chairman of the National Association of Small Scale Industries, Alhaji Tijjani Jallaba, told newsmen in Bauchi yesterday that one other enterprise was on the verge of meeting the requirements.
He named the two enterprises as Gambo Marafa and Baba Buba, adding that Fatima Idris Enterprises was in the final stage to qualify for the loan.
“The reasons for the low patronage of the loan is the tight condition set by the CBN.
‘’ If you see what is encompassed in the scheme, you will realise that the CBN has introduced a good programme that will help to transform small scale businesses into profitable ventures.
Borno
The 21 Army Brigade, Maiduguri, has placed its men on red alert following the spate of killing of soldiers by unknown gunmen in Borno.
Lt. Abubakar Abdullahi, the Brigade’s Spokesman, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the army lost four of its officers in separate attacks last week in Maiduguri metropolis.
He said that “most of the victims were killed because of some lapses.
“The officer who was shot on Sunday at Jajeri was killed because he left the company of his colleagues, contrary to military discipline, while the officer shot on Tuesday at the State Low Cost Estate was sick.
“His assailants trailed him in the evening and took advantage of his condition by shooting him near a mosque.”
Abdullahi said that the officer was not part of the current military operations in the state, which made him unprepared.
He added that the army had always placed its men on red alert for eventualities, especially with the recent attacks.
Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered that a 27-year-old man, Akindele Ebunjobi, be remanded in prison for allegedly stabbing his brother to death.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr R.A. Adegboye, gave the order on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, after Ebunjobi appeared before him and pleaded not guilty to one-count charge of murder.
The police prosecutor, Mr Ajiboye Bayo, told the court that the accused person on January 11, at about 10.30 p.m., at 29 Oke Odo Street, Osan-Ekiti, stabbed his younger brother Olaniyi Ebunjobi, to death.
Bayo said that the accused stabbed Olaniyi on his back and neck during an argument, and that the incident was said to have taken place in Osan-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area Ekiti State.
FCT
The Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN) on Wednesday called on INEC to adhere strictly to its timetable in order not to cause problem for the entire electoral process.
Chief Frank Ohwofa, the National Chairman, who made the call in Abuja during an interview with newsmen said there was no need to allow political parties to go against the existing timetable.
According to him, any favour to a political party will dash all hopes of Nigerians on credible polls.
“There should not be any favouritism to any political party because it will cause lacuna for the entire electoral process.
“Any alteration will otherwise dash all aspirations of Nigerians for credible elections as our hopes on the credibility of Prof. Attahiru Jega will also decline.
“If a waiver can be granted to any party, INEC must grant same to other parties too,’’ he added.
Gombe
The Gombe State Police Commissioner, Mr Orubebe Ebikeme, has warned that parents in the state will henceforth be held responsible for the misbehaviour of their children.
Ebikeme gave the warning in Gombe yesterday at a news conference following the continued breach of the peace in the past one week by some notorious youths known as “Kalare”.
He said, “Parents owed it a duty to the society to monitor and control the behaviour of their children.
Jigawa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Jigawa says no fewer than 692,335 eligible voters in the state have so far been registered in the ongoing voter registration.
The Head, Department of Public Affairs and Monitoring, Alhaji Surajo Kore, told newsmen in Dutse that the figure was collated since the commencement of the exercise on January 15 up till January 18.
“Though, there were some hiccups in the first three days, things have improved tremendously in terms of the speed of the machines,” he said.
Surajo explained that the Commission projected more than 1.7 million eligible voters to be registered in the state, based on the previous exercise, especially in 2006.
Katsina
A 28 year-old man, Sama’ila Garba of Sabuwar Kofa quarters in Katsina, on Thursday bagged one year jail term and 100 strokes of the cane for fornication.
The police docked Garba before Sharia Court I, Katsina, for the alleged offence.
The arraignment of the accused followed a complaint lodged by one Hussaina Isa, also of Sabuwar Kofa quarters, on November 12, 2010, alleging that Garba impregnated her.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Abubakar Mamman, said the complainant also alleged that the accused lured her to have sex with him, which resulted to a pregnancy and subsequent delivery of a baby.
However, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge, accepting that he had an affair with the girl.
Kebbi
All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kebbi chapter, will screen farmers that will benefit from the newly introduced CBN N1billion commercial agricultural credit scheme.
The Chairman of the chapter, Alhaji Bello Kalgo, who stated this on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi while addressing the farmers.
He said the screening was also to ensure prompt repayment of the loan, for other farmers to benefit and for the expansion of the scheme.
Kalgo said that besides boosting farmers’ productivity, the scheme would also provide more employment opportunities for them as well as increase the revenue accruing from their farming activities.
The chairman said that the state government had guaranteed the loan with no interests attached.
He promised the farmers of the readiness of the association to attract more supports for them such as timely release of fertiliser, modern farming implements, seedlings and pesticides, especially in areas devastated by flood last year.
Ogun
The yesterday Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Ijebu-Ode Catholic Diocese, has cleared 40 plots of land for fish farmers in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state.
Mr. Felix Adesiyan, the Diocesan Agricultural Development Programme Coordinator, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Ijebu-Ode yesterday.
Adesiyan explained that the move was aimed at encouraging more people, especially youths, to embrace fish farming and also to solve the problem of inadequate land for fish farming in the community.
He said that each of the farmers registered with the commission would be given a piece of land for a period of five years, adding that the land would attract a token rent of N5,000.
Plateau
Brig.-Gen. Hassan Umaru, the Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos, on Wednesday appealed to the people of Plateau to be patient with the soldiers maintaining the peace in the state.
Briefing newsmen on the series of protests launched against the STF in recent times, Umaru said the force was trying to restore peace to the state.
The Tide’s source reports that one of such protests was launched on Monday at Farin Lamba, Vom, while another was recorded at Abattoir within Jos metropolis on Wednesday.
“We are trying to restore peace, but the way and manner people are talking against us is not encouraging.
“The women protest is not encouraging at all and we want to suggest that people should not allow themselves to be used because the peace of the state should be paramount to all,” he said.
Yobe
Two officials of INEC participating in the ongoing registration of voters in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe have suffocated.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Malam Sadiq Musa, who confirmed the story, told newsmen in Damaturu yesterday that the men died on Monday and Wednesday.
Musa said that the officials failed to switch off the power generator while sleeping in their room close to the Registration Centre after working for hours.
He named the deceased as Abdulhamid Mustafa, an Inspector with Immigration Department and Aliyu Abubakar, Principal Officer with INEC’s head office in Damaturu.
The fumes filled the room in the night and they suffocated; one person died immediately while the other died the next day in a hospital, ‘’ he said.
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi