Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Bauchi State Police Command says it has spread its dragnet to apprehend kidnappers of an 11-year-old girl last Thursday.
The minor and daughter of former Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, was kidnapped on her way to school.
The spokesman for the Command, Mohammed Barau, told newsmen in Bauchi on Friday that the command received the information from Sadiya, mother of the girl at about 8.45 a.m. on Thursday
“On receiving the information, the Housing Estate Division of the command immediately visited the residence of Alhaji Ahmed Al-Mustafa where preliminary investigation was conducted,” he said.
FCT
The Police in the FCT say they have arrested a man (name withheld) for allegedly defrauding an Abuja-based motor company of five Toyota Prado jeeps worth N78 million.
SP Moshood Jimoh, the Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, who disclosed this last Friday to newsmen, said all the vehicles had been recovered from the suspect.
Jimoh said the suspect presented a “manager’s cheque” to the company to convince it that he had enough money in his account to pay for the vehicles and the company released them to him.
He, however, said that when the company discovered that there was no money in the suspect’s account, it lodged a complaint with the police.
Gombe
Mr Ado Solomon, the Director, National Orientation Agency in Gombe State, has cautioned politicians against using youths to perpetrate violence in the course of their electioneering.
Solomon gave the advice during the presentation of an award to the Chairman, Gombe Local Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri, as the UN Ambassador of Peace in Gombe State.
He described Gombe as the most peaceful state in the North-East zone and called on politicians to sustain the prevailing atmosphere.
Solomom also called on the people to participate fully in the voter registration coming up soon.
Kaduna
An official of the World Bank has urged the Kaduna State government to remit the N45 million counterpart fund for Fadama III to fast track implementation of the programme.
Dr Lucas Akapa, the North-West Fadama III Task leader, made the appeal in Kaduna when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Gov. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.
Akapa appealed to the government to prevail on council chairmen to remit their contribution of N46 million to enhance implementation of Fadama projects.
He noted that timely remittance of funds would enhance implementation of the programme, increase the income of Fadama users and add value to their lives.
Kano
A CPC gubernatorial aspirant in Kano, retired Brig.-Gen. Lawal Ja’afaru-Isa, has regretted that cholera, typhoid, malaria and meningitis are still ravaging the population in the state.
Addressing newsmen in Kano last Friday, Ja’afaru-Isa said it was unfortunate that the diseases, which had been eradicated in some parts of the world, were still rocking the state.
He said that the diseases had been claiming lives in parts of the state and questioned the healthcare programme of the authorities concerned.
Katsina
The Department For International Development (DFID) has selected three local government areas in Katsina State for the implementation of the Sanitation, Hygiene And Water in Nigeria (SHAWN) project.
Under the programme, the selected councils are expected to achieve 100 per cent coverage in sanitation, hygiene and water supply.
Alhaji Aminu Dayyabu, the SHAWN Desk Officer in Katsina, told newsmen Friday in Katsina that the selected councils were Bakori, Kaita and Mai’adua.
Kebbi
The Border Communities Development Authority (BCDA) in Kebbi State says insecurity can be addressed effectively if local policing and welfare of security personnel could be improved.
Mr Numoipre Wills, the Executive Secretary of the authority, said this at a sensitisation workshop on Friday in Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Boundary Commission, BCDA and the Kebbi State Government.
Kogi
The Project Coordinator, World Bank Assisted FADAMA III Programme, Mr Musa Dalang, says the programme is capable of winning the war against hunger and poverty but through sustained efforts.
Dalang said this while speaking with newsmen in Mopa in Kogi at the Third Joint World Bank/FGN Supervision Mission to Kabba-Bunu and Mopa-Muro Local Governments of Kogi.
The coordinator assured farmers that with the level of capacity building and training imparted on farmers so far, operators of the programme were well equipped to guarantee the victory against hunger, diseases and poverty.
Lagos
Two commercial motorcyclists, docked last Friday in Lagos for allegedly stealing a motorcycle, have been remanded in Ikoyi Prisons pending when they would perfect their bail conditions.
The accused, Umaru Abubakar, 27, and Ali Abdulahi, 26, were arraigned at the Surulere Chief Magistrate’s Court for the alleged theft of a Bajaj motorcycle, valued at N99,000.
The duo, standing trial before Chief Magistrate Mrs Abiola Soladoye, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy.
Ogun
Suspected armed smugglers on Thursday at Idiroko Border, Ogun, killed a customs officer and left two of his colleagues seriously injured.
The deceased (names withheld) was an Assistant Superintendent serving with the Federal Operations Unit.
It was learnt that the deceased officer was run over by a vehicle in a convoy of five suspected smugglers’ vehicles that rushed through a customs barricade at Ajilete, near Idiroko Border.
Osun
As the dry season approaches, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has advised market women to guard against fire outbreaks.
Mrs Bolanle Ojo, a top official of the agency gave the advice last week Thursday, when she visited the Atakumosa Market Ilesa, to inspect 15 shops that were razed by fire.
She called on the people to always employ the services of experts for the wiring of their shops to prevent fire outbreaks.
Ojo posited that power surge due to illegal connections, might have caused the fire.
Oyo
The Registrar, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Dr Oyedele Oyediji has stressed the need for feed millers in the country to comply with international standards.
He made the call in an interview with newsmen last Friday in Ibadan.
Oyedeji identified problems hampering the effort of millers to form a viable National Feed-Millers Association as a major challenge in the country’s feed-milling industry.
“Several efforts have been made to revive the feed-millers association without much success.
Plateau
Governor Paulen Tallen of Plateau last Friday declared that she had “never insulted” her boss, Gov. Jonah Jang.
The two former political allies are locked in a fierce contest for the PDP ticket for the governorship election in 2011.
“A newspaper quoted me on Monday as declaring that I will push out Gov. Jang in 2011.
“The report quoted me as saying so many things that I could not have said; this is not fair at all.
“It is not right to pit me against my boss,” she told newsmen by telephone in Jos.
Sokoto
Former Sokoto State Governor and presidential candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) in the 2007 general elections , Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has registered as a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Bafarawa registered at the Gebe “B” ward of Isa Local Government Area of the state .
The former governor, who is also a presidential aspirant of the ACN, was registered by the chairman of the party at the ward, Alhaji Abdulrahman Dan-Amarya.
Bafarawa’s name is number one in the party’s register while his registration number is 1991801 ACN.
He later told newsmen after registering that, “ I am a founding member of the ACN because we have been discussing on the mega party issue over one year ago”.
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