Headlines

The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of three students from the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, while working at a farm near Akure Airport.

The incident occurred at a farm settlement in Oke Oge, Oba-Ile, in Akure North Local Government Area on Saturday evening. The victims, who were undergoing Industrial Training (IT) at the farm, were reportedly kidnapped while returning home.

Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, said anti-kidnapping operatives have been deployed to the area to track down the abductors.

The Commander of the Amotekun Corps in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, also confirmed the incident, stating that his personnel, in collaboration with other security agencies, were combing the area in search of the victims.

Meanwhile, a family source revealed that the kidnappers have contacted the victims’ families, demanding a ₦15 million ransom.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has raised the application fee for establishing private universities in Nigeria by over 400%.

In a statement on Monday, NUC Executive Secretary Abdullahi Ribadu said the fee hike aims to improve coordination and ensure that newly established private universities are equipped to meet 21st-century challenges.

Under the new structure, the cost of purchasing an application form for a private university license has increased from ₦1 million to ₦5 million. Additionally, the processing fee has been raised from ₦5 million to ₦25 million.

The Commission stated that applicants who had purchased the application form at the previous rate of ₦1 million but had yet to pay the processing fee would be required to pay the revised ₦25 million fee within 30 working days or risk forfeiting their applications.

Furthermore, the NUC announced the suspension of inactive applications, including those for private open universities that have made no progress or submissions for over two years.

A one-year moratorium, effective February 10, 2025, has been imposed on:

• Inactive applications for new private universities to allow for a comprehensive review of their viability.
• Applications at Step 1 of the 14-step process, where only a letter of intent has been submitted.
• Acceptance of fresh applications for private universities, including private open universities.

However, the Commission clarified that it would continue processing active pending applications and make recommendations to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

Since 1999, the Federal Government has approved the establishment of 149 private universities based on the NUC’s recommendations.

The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday ordered the forfeiture of 6.3 billion units of ordinary shares in Keystone Bank Limited, valued at N1 each, to the Nigerian government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The ruling followed a guilty plea by Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited, represented by its Chairman, Umaru Hamidu Modibbo, over the fraudulent conversion of N20 billion belonging to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited was arraigned alongside former AMCON Managing Director Ahmed Kuru, who pleaded not guilty to the charges. The company had entered a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC filed a six-count amended charge, alleging that AMCON funds were diverted through Heritage Bank to facilitate Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited’s acquisition of Keystone Bank. The anti-graft agency also accused Kuru and Ifie Sekibo, the former Managing Director of the now-defunct Heritage Bank—who remains at large—of dishonestly converting N20 billion of AMCON’s funds through Heritage Bank for Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited.

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has called for the establishment of Sharia panels in the Southwest to serve the interests of Muslims in the region.

Oloyede, who also serves as the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), urged leaders in the six states of the geopolitical zone to support the initiative, emphasizing that it would help foster sustainable peace.

Speaking on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television, Oloyede said there was nothing wrong with Muslims having Sharia courts in the Southwest.

“Recently, people are talking about Sharia Panels in the Southwest, and I was just smiling. I had never seen such a level of ignorance being displayed,” he said.

He noted that Sharia panels, which primarily handle marriage and inheritance disputes, have existed in the region for years. Citing Oyo State as an example, he referenced a PhD thesis on the subject written in 2007 by Prof. Makinde, now a professor at the University of Ibadan.

Oloyede dismissed concerns that the proposal could cause religious tension, stressing that Muslims, Christians, and traditional institutions in the Southwest have co-existed peacefully for generations.

“The matter is trivial, and unnecessary tension should not be built around it. However, Southwest Muslims bear a psychological burden for the peace and harmony in the region,” he added.

The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin emphasized the need for continuous monitoring of religious coexistence to sustain peace, warning that failing to do so would mean living in the past.