Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC), has been urged to work towards promoting religious tolerance among communities in the country.
Mr Bitrus Habzhi, the Chairman, Mubi South Local Government Council of Adamawa, made the call while inaugurating a 13-member committee of the local chapter of NIREC in Mubi on Saturday.
The chairman said the council should adopt effective campaign strategies to promote religious tolerance among the people.
Habzhi said the measure was imperative in order to promote unity and peaceful coexistence among various religious communities.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government has placed a ban on public display of political posters, banners and billboards.
This is contained in a statement issued recently and signed by Malam Sanusi Muhammed, Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs to Gov. Isa Yuguda.
The statement stated that the ban became necessary because such displays were threatening security.
It said that any politician who wanted such displays could do so 20km away from the state capital as well as headquarters of the local government councils.
The statement, however, said that politicians could also display or paste such items in their residential areas and shops.
It stated that violators would be handed over for prosecution.
FCT
Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) says that lack of funds has continued to stall the development of its international trade fair complex in the FCT.
Mr Joe Wenegieme, the the Director-General of the chamber, made the observation in an interview with newsmen yesterday.
He said the development of the complex had remained impossible because it was capital Intensive.
Wenegieme solicited the support of the Federal Government and other development partners in the realisation of the organisation’s dream.
He said that several attempts by the chamber to collaborate with private developers had been futile due to lack of funds.
Gombe
The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) says it is considering relocating communities in flood-prone areas to safer places.
Hajiya Zainab Idris, the Director of Administration and Finance in the agency, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday.
Idris said the measure was one of the proactive steps toward averting casualties in case of flood disaster this year.
She said that the entire state was prone to flooding but identified the most vulnerable areas to include Yamaltu-Deba, Balanga, Dukku, Nafada and Funakaye which are close to rivers.
“Our major problem is that the residents of such areas are always reluctant to leave.
“In the recent past, we tried to relocate the survivors of a flood disaster in Hinna village of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area
Kaduna
Security operatives on Saturday cordoned off major streets connecting the Kaduna Township Stadium where Gov. Patrick Yakowa commenced his gubernatorial campaign.
A combined detachment of a special security outfit of the state code named “Operation Yaki” took over the streets.
Some of the streets that were closed to motorists were Bida road and Independence way which all led to Lugard Hall and stadium junction.
The security measures caused heavy traffic congestion within Kaduna metropolis as most motorists were forced to use only the Ahmadu Bello Way.
The traffic situation in the state was further worsened because of the Kaduna International Trade Fair that began on Saturday.
Kano
The Federal Government yesterday reiterated its commitment to ensuring adequate enforcement of laws and regulations on illegal trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora across the country.
Dr Ngeri Benebo, the Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), gave the commitment in Kano.
Benebo spoke at the opening of the three-day national training workshop on the enforcement of the statndards of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES).
CITES is an international agreement signed by 175 countries, including Nigeria, to protect trade in endangered species globally.
She said that adequate enforcement of the convention entailed training and development of the capacity of relevant agencies to check the illegal trade.
Lagos
President Goodluck Jonathan recently called for ethnic dilution in Nigeria to move the country forward.
Speaking in Lagos at the“ Celebration of Igbo unity, Culture and Transformation’’ organised by the Ohaneze Ndigbo and Aka Ikenga, Jonathan said that “all ethnic societies in Nigeria must become one to move forward.
“Even in the USA, people know where they come from, but that does not hinder their ambition,’’ he said.
He said that the occasion was very unique and should be entitled, “Nigeria, an ethnic society without border’’
Ogun
Ogun The PDP in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, has urged its candidates for the next local government election to start campaigning by displaying posters of their programmes in their wards.
Chairman of the party in the area, Alhaji Razak Arowolo, said this was part of strategies to ensure victory in the election.
Arowolo gave the directive while addressing party members in Ijebu-Ode yesterday.
He expressed the belief that the ancient town is a strong hold of the PDP; hence the party should work hard to avoid losing to the opposition.
Ondo
Three men were yesterday arraigned in Akure on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
The accused, Lemamu Habib (22), Rotimi Akadiri (34) Owagbemi Odimayo (24) and two others at large were alleged to have killed a 70-year-old man, Jayeola Abodunwa.
Police Prosecutor Insp Richard Salawu said the offence was committed on Dec. 21, 2010 at about 5 am at Owanikun Street, Ikun-Akoko, Ondo State.
The accused were alleged to have killed the septuagenarian by beating him and forcing him to drink poisonous substances.
Salawu informed the court that the case file had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice, and asked for an adjournment.
He urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody till the next adjournment.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Zacckhaeus Egbunu, adjourned the case till May 20, and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
Plateau
The West of Mines Chief Magistrates’ Court Two in Jos yesterday Tuesday sentenced one Daniel Musaka and four others to eight months imprisonment each for causing public disturbance.
Chief Magistrate Talatu Gada, who handed down the judgment, declared that the convicts were also guilty of conspiracy, smoking hemp and belonging to a gang of thieves.
The convicts were, however, given the option of N2,000 fine each.
Gada, who said the court was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the youths committed the offence, said the prosecution proved that the convicts actually committed the four charges against them.
Sokoto
The President of the Albino Foundation of Nigeria, Mr Jake Epele, says more than 600,000 persons living with skin pigmentation problem in the country suffer discrimination
Epele spoke to newsmen in Sokoto recently.
“Some families abandon newly born children with albinism. Due to this, an albino has a slim chance to make it in life with most parents reluctant to invest in the education of albino children, ” he said.
He said statistics indicated that more than 1.5 million Nigerian albinos were among the poorest, least educated and marginalised persons.
Epele said these persons were also the most susceptible to skin cancer due to frequent exposure of their skin to the sun.
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.