Nelson Ugwuagbo

The second day of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference in Enugu was on Monday disrupted by protests demanding the release of Bright Ngene, a Labour Party lawmaker representing Enugu South Urban Constituency in the State House of Assembly.

Ngene is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence imposed by a magistrate’s court over a community dispute. His supporters, however, maintain that the conviction was politically motivated.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Release Bar. Bright Ngene Now, a Political Prisoner of Conscience” and “NBA, Please Save Our Democracy”, the protesters accused the state judiciary of deliberately stalling his appeal.

Addressing journalists, protest leader Benedict Kachukwu described Ngene’s incarceration since July 2024 as a miscarriage of justice.

“Due process was not followed in his trial. We appeal to the NBA and senior lawyers at this conference to intervene and ensure justice is done,” he said.

Security operatives prevented the demonstrators from entering the International Conference Centre, venue of the NBA conference. Nonetheless, the protesters staged a peaceful demonstration around the premises before dispersing.

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

The discovery was made during a recent nationwide crackdown on unaccredited institutions.

In a statement outlining its achievements, the commission confirmed the closure of the illegal colleges, stressing its commitment to sanitising the teacher education sector.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country. The commission also conducted a personnel audit and financial monitoring exercise in all 21 federal colleges of education,” the statement read.

The Presidency has refuted reports suggesting that Nigeria had an empty stand at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga clarified that President Bola Tinubu’s delegation is attending the summit for high-level engagements, not for trade exhibitions.

According to him, the Nigerian team is concentrating on securing strategic partnerships in key sectors, including power, industry, and agriculture.

The clarification followed viral photos on social media showing an empty space marked “Nigeria,” which drew criticism from the public. Onanuga, however, described the reports as misleading.

“Nigeria is not participating as a trade exhibitor,” he said, adding that while some of the concerns were driven by patriotism, they reflected a misunderstanding of the country’s actual objectives at TICAD9.

The Kano State Hisbah Board has unveiled plans to sponsor the weddings of repentant bandits as part of the government’s ongoing reintegration efforts.

Commander-General of Hisbah, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, disclosed this development after more than 1,000 youths surrendered their weapons and publicly renounced violence.

According to him, the initiative aligns with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s programme aimed at helping youths who have abandoned crime to build stable and decent lives.

“This programme is part of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s initiative to support youths who have turned away from crime and want to live a decent life,” Sheikh Daurawa said, while urging the youths to ensure their repentance was genuine. He also appealed to others still engaged in violence to embrace the opportunity.

At the event held at the Police Headquarters in Bompai, Governor Yusuf—represented by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya—stated that the police screening exercise marked the first stage of rehabilitation.

“After this, the NDLEA will also screen the youths to confirm the sincerity of their repentance,” the governor noted.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the 2027 presidential ambition of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, describing it as “dead on arrival.”

Wike, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today, was reacting to Amaechi’s recent claims that he knows President Bola Tinubu’s weaknesses and could defeat him in a presidential contest.

According to Wike, Amaechi is fully aware that he stands no chance of clinching the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he is currently a member.

“He knows he won’t get the ticket,” Wike said. “I read that he said he knows the weaknesses of the president, so he knows how to defeat him. But he also knew those weaknesses in 2022, when the president defeated him mercilessly in the primary.”

Although there have been speculations about Amaechi’s interest in running for president under the ADC platform in 2027, Wike insisted the former Rivers State governor has no viable pathway to the presidency.

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has dismissed the possibility of any political alliance between the party’s leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Galadima pointed to the ongoing Kano Emirate crisis as evidence of deep divisions between the two sides.

“How can Kwankwaso be a friend of the APC with what they are doing to us in Kano? Appointing two emirs in one town? There is a Federal Government emir and a state emir. Who has the responsibility to appoint emirs and pay them their salaries?” he asked.

Galadima further accused security agencies of being deployed to protect one faction of the Kano emirate while neglecting the worsening insecurity faced by residents across the state.

“They have their emirs. They have not less than 40 pickup vehicles filled with mobile police guarding the Emir (Ado Bayero). In some localities in Kano, people are being killed and their handsets taken, while the police are tied down. Are they not ashamed?” he queried.

The Anambra State Government has condemned the assault on a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ms. Jennifer Elobor, by operatives of the state’s security outfit, confirming that those involved have been arrested and detained.

The incident, which sparked outrage after a video went viral on social media, showed armed operatives storming a corps members’ lodge and accusing the occupants of internet fraud despite their display of NYSC identification cards and uniforms. The footage further revealed the officers beating Ms. Elobor, tearing her clothes, and leaving her partly unclothed.

Reacting to the development, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, described the attack as “unfortunate and unacceptable” during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday. He confirmed that the operatives had been taken into custody and placed under investigation.

According to Emeakayi, the incident occurred during a joint security operation known as Operation Udo Gatchi. He explained that the operatives were pursuing suspected cultists on motorcycles when they entered a residential compound and began conducting searches.

“In the process of searching the houses in line with their mandate, the unfortunate incident involving the corps member occurred. While they were acting within the law, their conduct in that instance was unacceptable,” he said.

He added that the state government responded immediately once the assault was reported.

The Dangote Group Plc has pledged full medical support and compensation for Mrs. Ruth Otabor, sister of Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Ijeoma “Phyna” Otabor, who was injured in a recent accident involving one of the company’s trucks in Auchi, Edo State.

The incident, which occurred last week along the Auchi axis, left Mrs. Otabor hospitalised at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Eyewitnesses said the crash caused heavy traffic in the area until emergency responders and security personnel arrived at the scene.

In a statement on Thursday, Dangote Cement Plc confirmed that senior officials and its insurance team had visited the accident site, liaised with law enforcement, and met with the victim and her family at the hospital.

“Following the recent road accident in Auchi involving one of our trucks, we are ensuring full support for Mrs. Otabor, including comprehensive medical care and appropriate compensation, in line with our welfare policy,” the company stated.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to the well-being of those affected by its operations, expressing hopes for Mrs. Otabor’s full and speedy recovery.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has appointed a Chinese national, Mr. Li Zhensheng, as Economic Adviser to the state government.

The announcement was made during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bauchi State Government and the China Global Promotion Cooperation Research Centre, held in Bauchi.

Governor Mohammed said the appointment and partnership aim to transform Bauchi into a hub for international cooperation. The agreement is expected to attract investments and drive projects in key sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and trade.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned Nigerians against engaging in multiple registrations in the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

Alhaji Mohammed Sadiq, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Plateau State, issued the warning on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting on the resumption of CVR nationwide.

Sadiq stressed that multiple registration carries serious consequences, including the complete removal of offenders from the voter register.

“Voter registration is not only a fundamental right, but also a duty of every eligible Nigerian. No one can vote in an election unless they are duly registered,” he said.

He urged citizens who have turned 18 and above but are yet to register to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“The commission will not accept multiple registration. Any attempt to engage in such acts may result in the registrant being completely delisted from the register,” Sadiq warned.

According to him, the CVR will commence on August 18 with an online registration option available for eligible voters.