Saturday, July 25

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Bauchi Gov’s son begs father to clear retirees’ gratuities, empower youths
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Bauchi Gov’s son begs father to clear retirees’ gratuities, empower youths

Shamsuddeen Bala Mohammed, son of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, has called on his father to pay outstanding gratuities owed to retirees and introduce targeted economic empowerment programmes for young people to ease hardship across the state. Shamsuddeen made the appeal in a Facebook post on Wednesday titled, “Bridging the Gap: A Call for a Human-Capital Focused Policy.” In the post, he commended the governor’s administration for its infrastructural achievements over the past seven years, describing the construction of roads, schools and hospitals as enduring projects that would define the administration’s legacy. He, however, argued that despite the visible transformation in infrastructure, many residents, particularly youths, continued to grapple with worsening econo...
Mother of four gets life imprisonment for attempted murder of 12-year-old
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Mother of four gets life imprisonment for attempted murder of 12-year-old

A 36-year-old mother of four, Uwakmfon Isaac Jonah, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to murder a 12-year-old girl. Jonah was sentenced by an Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Essien Udim Local Government Area.Justice Winifred Effiong handed down the sentence on Thursday after finding the defendant guilty of a one-count charge of attempted murder, contrary to Section 276 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Volume 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022. The court heard that the victim had accompanied her mother, a pepper trader, to a local market where she was hawking fresh pepper when the convict approached her under the guise of buying the produce. The girl testified that the woman persuaded her to leave the market, claiming an elderly customer wanted to buy pep...
President Lizzy Asomugha Concludes Tenure as Rotary President with “Night of Peace” Celebration
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President Lizzy Asomugha Concludes Tenure as Rotary President with “Night of Peace” Celebration

By Victor Okoye Outgoing President of the Rotary Club of Abuja-Aso Golf, Rotarian Lizzy Ulunma Asomugha, has concluded her two-year tenure with a "Night of Peace" celebration on Wednesday in Abuja. The event was organised in collaboration with Citizens Advocate for Peace Is Possible (CAPIPIN). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Asomugha was installed as the fourth President of the Rotary Club of Abuja-Aso Golf in 2024. The ceremony attracted diplomats, security chiefs, public officials, Rotarians and distinguished personalities from across the globe, including Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, UK, Botswana and Canada. Former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, chaired the event. Among dignitaries present were Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Amb. Philip Od...
Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa to graduate 48,360 students in combined convocation
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Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa to graduate 48,360 students in combined convocation

By Olukayode Babalola Management of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa is set to graduate 48,360 students at its 11th combined convocation ceremony on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Dr Hauwa Muhammad, Rector of the institution made this known at a press briefing held in Nasarawa local government area of Nasarawa state on Friday. According to Muhammad, the 11th combined convocation ceremony covers graduates of 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024, and 2024/2025 academic sessions. "For the 2021/2022 academic session we have 5900 for National Diploma and 2050 students for Higher National Diploma; for the 2022/2023 session there are 8767 for National Diploma and 1976 for Higher National Diploma. "As for the 2023/2024 academic session students graduating with ND are 10,158 with those gra...
President Lizzy Asomugha Concludes Tenure as Rotary President with “Night of Peace” Celebration
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President Lizzy Asomugha Concludes Tenure as Rotary President with “Night of Peace” Celebration

Abuja came aliv on Wednesday as the outgoing President of the Rotary Club of Abuja-Aso Golf , Rtn. Lizzy Ulunma Asomugha, marked the successful conclusion of her tenure with a grand event tagged “Night of Peace,” in collaboration with CAPIPIN. The colourful ceremony attracted distinguished personalities from across the globe who gathered to celebrate President Asomugha’s leadership and contributions to Rotary International and the promotion of peace. The event was chaired by Sir Mike Okiro, former Inspector General of Police. Delivering the keynote address, Ambassador Joe Keshi, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke on the theme of leadership in times of peace. He emphasized that many nations have achieved remarkable transformation during peaceful ...
LPPC Suspends Ozekhome’s SAN Rank Over Disciplinary Probe
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LPPC Suspends Ozekhome’s SAN Rank Over Disciplinary Probe

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee has suspended the Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank of constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome.The decision was taken at the LPPC’s 173rd General Meeting held on June 23, 2026.This is pending the determination of disciplinary proceedings against him.In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Akanbi, on Wednesday evening, the committee said the suspension was approved pursuant to Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The statement read, “The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), at its 173rd General Meeting held on 23rd June 2026, approved the suspension of Chief Mike Ozekhome, from the Rank of Senior Advocate of...
CBN Reports N17.4tn Surge In FG Borrowing
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CBN Reports N17.4tn Surge In FG Borrowing

The Central Bank of Nigeria has revealed that credit to the Federal Government rose sharply over the 12 months ending in May 2026.According to the CBN’s latest monetary and credit statistics on Wednesday, total credit to the government climbed to N40.38tn in May 2026, up from N22.99tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. This marks a year-on-year increase of N17.39tn (approximately N17.4tn), representing a massive 75.6 per cent rise in lending exposure to the public sector. On a month-on-month basis, the government’s borrowing momentum showed no signs of slowing down, expanding by N779.70bn in just 30 days from the N39.60tn reported in April 2026. Banking sector data indicate that commercial and merchant lenders are continuing to allocate significant liquidity towards g...
FG Tightens Noose on Alleged ISIS Financiers as U.S., Nigeria Coordinate Sanctions
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FG Tightens Noose on Alleged ISIS Financiers as U.S., Nigeria Coordinate Sanctions

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to disrupt terrorism financing networks, moving to prosecute a Lagos-based Bureau De Change operator and several companies accused of facilitating financial transactions linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The move follows the designation of Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad and three Bureau De Change firms by the United States government for their alleged roles in financing activities connected to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Sources within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that investigations into Muhammad and the affected firms had reached an advanced stage before the United States announced sanctions against them. According to officials familiar with the probe, the anti-gr...
GOV FUBARA SEALS OFF COLLAPSED BUILDING SITE, ORDERS INVESTIGATION
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GOV FUBARA SEALS OFF COLLAPSED BUILDING SITE, ORDERS INVESTIGATION

Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has ordered a complete seal off of the site of a five- storey building which collapsed on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring several others in Port Harcourt. Governor Fubara who visited the site of the disaster on Thursday to assess the situation, said the site will remain "completely sealed off" until the government gets to the "root cause" of the incident. He described the incident as unfortunate but observed that preliminary investigation had shown that the developer had earlier refused to subject his site to inspection by the state authorities and comply with the necessary building regulations. The Governor, who inspected the site alongside the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development,...
FG unveils poverty intelligence lab to strengthen interventions 
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FG unveils poverty intelligence lab to strengthen interventions 

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, says the newly unveiled National Poverty Intelligence Lab (NPIL) will strengthen effective response to ultimately reduce poverty in the country. Doro stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at the NPIL Project Kick-off and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and Data Systems Diagnostic Workshop. The workshop, organised by the ministry in collaboration with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), focused on the use of data and intelligence systems to address poverty challenges more effectively. According to the minister, the NPIL will accelerate ongoing reforms that will transform how Nigeria understands, responds to, and ultimately reduces poverty. “I am super excite...
2027: Be Prepared to struggle for power, Wike tells PDP candidates
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2027: Be Prepared to struggle for power, Wike tells PDP candidates

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged candidates contesting in the 2027 general elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be prepared to struggle for power. Wike, a national leader of the PDP, stated this during the party’s 109th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Wednesday in Abuja. “Nobody gives power. Nobody has done it. Power is taken; if you did not do so, it’s your business. “You must fight for it to take it. Nobody gives power, and nobody is ready to dash you power. You have to struggle for it. You have to fight for it. You don’t have to be afraid. “Every time you complain, oh, the governor is this, what do you want him to do? To allow you to come and take power like that? “If you’re not s...
Senate passes State Police Bill
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Senate passes State Police Bill

The Senate on Wednesday passed the bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria.The upper legislative chamber approved the proposal after adopting a manual voting process following a technical malfunction of its electronic voting system.To ensure transparency and inclusiveness, the chamber resolved to conduct the vote manually. Under the adopted procedure, senators were required to stand individually, announce their names and publicly state their positions on the proposed state police framework. The motion for the adoption of manual voting was moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and received the support of the lawmakers. The passage of the bill represents a major milestone in the push for decentralised policing, a proposal that has generated widespread deba...
BUSINESSDAY HONOURS GOVERNOR ALIA WITH NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD
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BUSINESSDAY HONOURS GOVERNOR ALIA WITH NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD

By Gami Tadanyigbe The Benue State Government is pleased to announce that His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia, has been honoured with the prestigious Infrastructure Award at the maiden edition of the BusinessDay States Competitiveness and Investment Readiness Awards, held yesterday, June 18, 2026, at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja. The award, presented by BusinessDay Media Limited, one of Nigeria's foremost business and economic publications, is a significant national recognition of the remarkable infrastructure transformation taking place across Benue State under Governor Alia's administration. More than a ceremonial recognition, the award reflects an independent and data-driven assessment of developmental progress across the country. According to BusinessDay, the s...
Senate Admits Governors, Others, into Chamber for State Police Debate
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Senate Admits Governors, Others, into Chamber for State Police Debate

The Senate on Wednesday allowed Governors and other senior government officials into the chamber during consideration of the state police bill. The motion was first put to a voice vote but was rejected by the majority of lawmakers. Under parliamentary practice, only senators are ordinarily allowed on the floor of the chamber, while visitors and non-members observe proceedings from the gallery. The development briefly delayed proceedings, as the invited governors and other senior officials were already waiting at the entrance to the chamber. In a bid to resolve the situation, President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio appealed to his colleagues to revisit the matter, stressing the importance of allowing key stakeholders to witness deliberations on the proposed state police fr...
FCTA rallies stakeholders for 2026 schistosomiasis campaign
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FCTA rallies stakeholders for 2026 schistosomiasis campaign

By Victor Okoye The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the 2026 Schistosomiasis Mass Administration of Medicines (MAM) campaign across the territory. The Director of Public Health, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Teresa Nwachukwu, made the call at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Abuja on Wednesday. Represented by the Head of the Disease Control Division, Dr Ngozi Ebisike, Nwachukwu said schistosomiasis remained a major public health challenge, especially among school-aged children and other vulnerable groups. She said the disease continued to affect the health, education and productivity of affected communities, making sustained interventio...
FCT FA chairman hails ₦1bn NPFL prize, urges reforms
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FCT FA chairman hails ₦1bn NPFL prize, urges reforms

By Victor Okoye The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Football Association (FCT FA), Adam Mouktar Mohammed, has commended the introduction of a ₦1 billion prize for winners of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, on Tuesday announced a minimum ₦1 billion prize for the champions of the 2026/2027 NPFL season. Dikko said the runners-up would receive ₦500 million, while the third-placed team would earn ₦300 million, subject to official confirmation by league authorities. He explained that the new prize structure forms part of broader reforms aimed at improving professionalism, commercial value, player welfare, and competitiveness in Nigerian football....
Mexican Meth Expert Arrested as NDLEA Busts Oyo Drug Cartel
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Mexican Meth Expert Arrested as NDLEA Busts Oyo Drug Cartel

By Mercy Peter A Mexican national allegedly recruited to oversee large scale methamphetamine production has been arrested in Nigeria after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered a sophisticated clandestine drug laboratory hidden in a forest in Oyo State. The arrest, alongside four Nigerian accomplices, has heightened concerns over the growing involvement of international drug cartels in Nigeria’s illicit drug trade and what authorities describe as an emerging attempt to establish the Southwest as a hub for synthetic drug manufacturing. Speaking at a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the discovery of the industrial-scale methamphetamine facility in Tapa Village...
Nigerian Youths Are Tech-savvy- Tinubu Tells Mastercard Chief Executive
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Nigerian Youths Are Tech-savvy- Tinubu Tells Mastercard Chief Executive

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday said Nigeria’s teeming youth population are ready-to-learn and tech-savvy workforce can easily integrate into the global market.President Tinubu, who received a delegation from Mastercard led by the Global Chief Executive Officer, Michael Miebach, at the State House, welcomed the company’s proposal to train five million businesses and equip them with digital skills. The President said the Nigerian economy had been repositioned and stabilised to fully participate in the global economy, with a focus on empowering youths and small businesses with digital skills and tools. The President noted that the ongoing formalisation of Nigeria’s largely informal small-business sector will create more opportunities for digital transitions, investments, e...
Police, ARD synergize on healthcare security
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Police, ARD synergize on healthcare security

By Onwa Ekor In a bid to strengthen collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and the healthcare sector, the Cross River Police Command recently received members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), on a courtesy visit. Commissioner of Police, Cross River Command, CP Rashid Afegbua, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations, DCP Godwin Etim, welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Command. Discussions centered on enhancing communication, improving emergency response coordination and promoting the safety and security of healthcare personnel, facilities, and patients. DCP Etim reaffirmed the Command's commitment to partnering with critical stakeholders and assured the Association ...
FG Issues Fresh Petrol Import Permits
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FG Issues Fresh Petrol Import Permits

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, has approved fresh imports of petrol and diesel for the third quarter of 2026 (July – September) as authorities move to prevent potential supply shortages in the domestic market, according to a report by global energy intelligence firm Argus Media. The report published on Tuesday, which cited regulatory and industry sources, said the latest approvals were issued to major downstream operators amid declining fuel stock levels and concerns over reduced gasoline production at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The move comes as Nigeria continues to balance increasing local refining capacity with the need to guarantee adequate supplies of petroleum products across the country. According to the Argus report, domesti...