Nelson Ugwuagbo

President Bola Tinubu has approved provisional licenses for 11 new private universities in Nigeria.

The announcement was made on Monday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja.

According to a statement by Tinubu’s aide, Sunday Dare, the president remains committed to expanding educational opportunities and infrastructure across the country.

The newly approved universities include:

• New City University, Ayetoro, Ogun State
• University of Fortune, Igbotako, Ondo State
• Eranova University, Mabushi
• Minaret University, Ikirun, Osun Annex
• Abubakar Toyin University, Oke-Agba, Kwara State
• Southern Atlantic University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State
• Lens University, Ilemona, Kwara State
• Monarch University, Iyesi-Ota, Ogun State
• Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City
• Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Lagos
• Kevin Eze University, Mgbowo, Enugu State

The approvals mark another step in the federal government’s efforts to enhance access to higher education in Nigeria.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has confirmed the rescue of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Modestus Ojiebe, who was abducted along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on Sunday.

Ojiebe, attached to the Kwara State Police Command, was reportedly attacked while attempting to fix his broken-down vehicle near the Dei-Dei Police Barracks in Abuja.

According to sources, the assailants searched and robbed Ojiebe and his wife of their mobile phones and ATM cards. However, upon discovering his police identity card, they forced him into their vehicle and fled, leaving his wife and their car at the scene.

FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, confirmed in a statement that the officer had been rescued and reunited with his family.

“Upon receiving the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Dawaki swiftly led his patrol team and alerted all police checkpoints and key entry and exit points into the FCT. This decisive response enabled the successful rescue of the officer and his reunion with his family on the same night,” the statement read.

She added that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the suspects, who abandoned the victim and fled into the bush in Garaku, Nasarawa State.

Truck owners and drivers under the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Plateau State Council, have protested against the persistent killings of drivers and destruction of trucks in the South-East region of the country.

The drivers, who gathered at the NURTW branch office in the Laranto, Katako area of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Sunday, decried the continued attacks on their members. They alleged that drivers transporting goods through the region have been repeatedly targeted, killed, and had their trucks vandalized or set ablaze by gunmen.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters expressed concerns over frequent assaults allegedly carried out by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Some of the routes identified as dangerous include Enugu to Lobanta, Lobanta to Okigwe, and Okigwe to Umuahia in Abia State. The protesters called for urgent intervention and the prosecution of perpetrators to prevent a possible boycott of goods transportation to the region.

NURTW Treasurer, Bulus Andrawus, described the hardships faced by truck drivers traveling from northern Nigeria to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A truck owner, Lawan Shuaibu, recounted attacks on his vehicles, including an incident on Monday when a truck traveling from Jos to Port Harcourt came under fire at Labanta on Umuahia Road around 9 a.m. The assailants shattered the windshield, injuring the driver.

Shuaibu further narrated another incident where conductors of a truck traveling from Port Harcourt were abducted and tied to a coconut tree by unidentified individuals. He said the driver managed to escape and alerted military personnel, who later secured their release after payment.

He lamented the recurring violence, stating, “One of my drivers was beaten, and his truck was destroyed for no reason. We are just trying to earn a living, not looking for trouble. We are Nigerians too, not foreigners. People from the South settle peacefully in the North, yet we face constant attacks in the East. We are not safe.”

The drivers appealed to the government to take immediate action to ensure their safety and prevent further attacks.

A Chief Superintendent of Police, Modestus Ojiebe, has been abducted along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

According to sources, the senior officer attached to the Kwara State Police Command, was attacked while attempting to fix his vehicle which broke down near Dei-Dei Police Barracks in Abuja.

In a report, Counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, said, “While he was attempting to fix the vehicle, an ash-colored Mercedes-Benz with four armed occupants stopped behind him.

“The assailants searched and robbed Ojiebe and his wife of their mobile phones and ATM cards. However, upon discovering his police identity card, they forced him into their vehicle and sped off, leaving his wife and their car at the scene.

“Following the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Dawaki Division received a distress call and immediately dispatched a patrol team to the area.

“Stop-and-search operations have been intensified at various entry and exit points of the FCT in an effort to rescue the officer and apprehend the culprits.”

At least three independent security sources, among whom are police officers, confirmed the development to Daily Trust but did not go into details.

“The information is correct but you know I am not permitted to speak on it so don’t expect anything more from me on this, please,” one of the sources said.

Attempt to reach Josephine Adeh, Police Public Relations Officer in FCT, did not yield results as she did not answer multiple calls.

Similarly, calls made to the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, seeking reaction were not answered.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the 2025 budget for legislative consideration.

The resolution was passed during plenary on Monday in Port Harcourt, following a motion moved by Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol. The lawmakers referenced a Supreme Court order in Suit No.: SC/CV/1174/2024, which halted the state’s statutory federal allocations and restricted spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State until an Appropriation Bill is passed.

The resolution, signed by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, stated:

Speaker Amaewhule also criticized Governor Fubara’s directive instructing Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) to take charge of local councils, calling it illegal and contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The lawmakers cited the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Law, 2023, and the Supreme Court’s judgment in Suit No.: SC/CV/343/2024, which prohibits the administration of local governments by HLGAs or any other persons except democratically elected officials.

Meanwhile, the House announced plans to go on recess by Friday, stating that lawmakers have been working continuously for the past two years.

Notably, there was no mention of the 2024 budget during the plenary session.

Governor Fubara had signed a ₦1.1 trillion 2025 budget into law on January 2 after presenting it to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led lawmakers. However, last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Speaker Amaewhule and his faction are the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, ordering them to resume legislative activities.

The Kano State Government, in collaboration with Kano Major Markets, has announced a reduction in the prices of essential food items at the Kano Trade Fair Complex.

The initiative aims to make food more affordable for residents, with several staple products now available at lower prices compared to regular market rates. The revised prices include:

• BUA Rice – Reduced from ₦81,000 to ₦76,000
• Amarava Rice – Reduced from ₦72,000 to ₦66,000
• Dangote Sugar – Reduced from ₦82,000 to ₦79,000
• IRS Flour – Reduced from ₦61,000 to ₦57,000
• Crown Taliya – Reduced from ₦16,000 to ₦15,100
• Crown Macaroni – Reduced from ₦15,700 to ₦14,700
• Honey Macaroni – Reduced from ₦15,700 to ₦14,700
• BUA Macaroni – Reduced from ₦16,500 to ₦15,000

Residents in Kano can take advantage of these reduced prices by purchasing their food supplies at the Kano Trade Fair Complex.

The Supreme Court has prohibited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other relevant agencies from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government until it complies with previous court orders.

Delivering a one-hour, thirty-six-minute judgment, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, leading a five-member panel, dismissed a cross-appeal by Governor Siminalayi Fubara challenging the legitimacy of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the speakership of Martin Amaewhule.

The court ordered Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with all elected members of the House, ruling that Governor Fubara acted unlawfully by presenting an appropriation bill before a four-member Assembly, thereby excluding 28 constituencies. It described this action as a violation of a court directive requiring him to present the 2024 budget to a duly constituted Assembly led by Amaewhule.

Additionally, the court condemned the governor’s handling of the alleged defection of 28 lawmakers, labeling it an act of “brigandage and dictatorship” aimed at preventing the House from carrying out its legislative duties.

The Supreme Court further criticized the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, describing it as an abuse of executive power intended to obstruct the legislative process.

A former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Anamekwe Nwabuoku, facing trial over an alleged ₦1.96 billion fraud, has requested more time from the Federal High Court in Abuja to negotiate a settlement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Nwabuoku, who is standing trial on a nine-count charge, made the plea on Monday after the EFCC, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ekele Iheanacho, informed the court that it had five witnesses ready to testify.

Although his lawyer, Isidore Udenko, represented him in court, the defendant disclosed that he had engaged a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to facilitate an out-of-court settlement. Udenko noted that a previous attempt to reach an agreement with the anti-graft agency had failed, leading to the commencement of trial.

Responding, EFCC’s counsel, Iheanacho, stated that while the prosecution was prepared to proceed with the trial, it had no objection to the defendant’s request if it served the interest of justice.

“Even though our five witnesses are in court and we are ready to go on with the trial, however, if the request of the defendant will meet the justice of the case, we will not be opposing,” he said.

Following the submission, Justice James Omotosho adjourned the case to March 13, 2025, for either a settlement report or the continuation of the trial.

Nwabuoku was appointed as acting AGF in May 2022 after the suspension and subsequent trial of former AGF Ahmed Idris over an alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud. However, the EFCC later accused Nwabuoku of financial misconduct before his appointment, leading to his removal in July 2022.

He was subsequently charged alongside a Director in the Federal Civil Service, Felix Nweke. However, the EFCC later amended the charge, removing Nweke as a co-defendant after he agreed to testify against Nwabuoku.

According to the prosecution, Nwabuoku allegedly violated Section 18 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended in 2012), an offence punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

The court had earlier heard testimony from Nweke, who alleged that Nwabuoku used four different companies to divert public funds. He further stated that the illicit funds were deposited in accounts controlled by an individual identified as Gideon Joseph.