Headlines

In a shocking incident, gunmen kidnapped over 20 medical and dental students, as well as a House Officer, while they were en route to a convention in Enugu State, Southeastern Nigeria.

The students, who were traveling together from the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos, were ambushed by the gunmen in the Otukpo area of Benue State around 5:30 p.m.

They were headed to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) annual convention when the incident occurred.

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the kidnapping and launched an investigation, with spokesperson SP Catherine Anene stating that the report was received between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Details later …

The Enugu State government has given a 90-day ultimatum to Churches and Mosque in the state to: remove all outdoor loudspeakers and implement soundproofing measures within their premises.

This move aims to minimize noise pollution and maintain a more serene environment in the state.

The decision was made during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, aimed at implementing the Enugu State Anti-Noise Pollution Policy.

The meeting, organised by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, brought together Christian and Muslim leaders, government officials, and media practitioners to address noise pollution in the state.

Recall that the Enough state government had in December 2023 as part of its urban renewal policy, directed all night clubs, beer parlours and other entertainment operators to mitigate their noise pollution in the capital city, particularly in residential areas.

However, in his address during the engagement, the Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, Hon. Uche Anya, lamented that his office has received over 1000 letters of complaints from around the state capital over noise pollution from different churches.

He said that noise pollution is the biggest challenge in Enugu state capital today and we cannot continue that way.

“We have received over 1000 petitions from across the state from residential neighbours complaining about their inability to sleep at nights because of the noise pollution emanating from the churches and business operations.

“We call you here to dialogue so that this Policy will be successfully implemented. Enugu State Government will need your active collaboration, support and full understanding to enable us place Enugu State in a position to effectively contain the challenges of urbanisation.

“We must ensure we eliminate noise in the state. We cannot allow any bar with free to air. If you must operate in a residential areas you must put acoustics to ensure that noise from your business and church does not affect your neighbours.”

Ikenga Ugochinyere, the member representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives, has praised Speaker Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas for withdrawing the Counter Subversion Bill and related draft legislation.

The withdrawal of the bill, which prescribed a 10-year jail term and N5 million fine for refusing to recite the national anthem and pledge, came after widespread criticism from Nigerians and extensive consultations with stakeholders.

According to the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi, the decision reflects the Speaker’s commitment to prioritizing peace and unity in the nation.

Ugochinyere, Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream, commended the Speaker’s decision, stating that it demonstrates a legislative agenda that listens to citizens and fosters unity.

He added that the withdrawal of the bill shows the Speaker’s commitment to ensuring the House remains the People’s House, working for the people who elected them.

Ugochinyere concluded by saying that the decision sets a benchmark for the 10th House of Representatives to respond to the yearnings of citizens and prioritize their needs.

A clash between farmers and herders in Kodomun, a community in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, has resulted in the deaths of three people and left eight others injured.

The incident is said to have been triggered by the alleged killing of a youth in Kodomun by suspected herders, which sparked emotions and escalated to neighboring villages including Kudiri, Sabonlayi, Kwayine, and Gorogbakai.

However, by Thursday, a combined security team dispatched to the area had restored normalcy, according to the Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State, SP Suleiman Nguroje.

A meeting was held at the palace of the Hama Batta, Homun Alhamdu Gladstone Teneke, the paramount traditional leader in Demsa, to address the crisis. The meeting was attended by the Executive Chairman of Demsa Local Government Council, Akham Jalo, who appealed for calm and blamed both farmers and herders for concealing the truth about the causes of the crisis.

Jalo urged farmers to report crop destruction to authorities for compensation and warned herders to avoid grazing around farm areas to prevent cattle from straying into farms. He also emphasized the need for both parties to work together to find a lasting solution.

Earlier, the Hama Batta, Homun Alhamdu Gladstone Teneke, stressed the need for herders to comply with the state government’s directive to withdraw their cattle during the cropping and rainy season until after harvest in February every year.

The meeting concluded by asking leaders of the warring groups to identify and submit the names of those responsible for the latest clash for prosecution, in an effort to bring an end to the lingering crisis.

The Bauchi State Government has shut down 39 unregistered private colleges of education, according to Commissioner for Higher Education, Lydia Tsammani, who made the announcement at a press conference in Bauchi on Thursday.

Tsammani explained that the affected institutions lacked approval from the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and failed to establish adequate infrastructure, saying, “A total of 39 colleges were found to be without anything.

They are operating in primary schools and when the school closes, then the NCE programmes start…”

She further highlighted the substandard conditions, stating, “They even borrowed teachers because they don’t have anything to make them stand as a college.” This emphasizes the lack of resources and qualified staff in these unregistered colleges.

The ministry had previously issued a notice to unregistered colleges with approved structures, giving them six months to complete their registration or face sanctions, Tsammani revealed. This move aims to ensure that only legitimate institutions operate in the state.

Tsammani also mentioned that 12 colleges with NCCE approval would be allowed to continue operating, but only if they meet certain conditions.

These include engaging qualified staff, paying registration fees to the ministry, admitting only qualified candidates, and continuously upgrading school facilities and equipment.

She emphasized the need for improvement, pointing out that some colleges were still using analogue typewriters in their offices, highlighting the need for modernization in this digital era.

The Labour party in Ondo state has come out to denounce the Secretary General of Yoruba sociopolitical organization, Afenifere, Chief Olusola Ebiseni as it’s governorship candidate.

This was made known in a statement issued in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh. Ifoh accused Ebiseni of impersonation, saying Dr Ayo Olorunfemi is its candidate for the November 16 governorship poll in Ondo.

But Ebiseni, in an interview, insisted that he was the authentic LP candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

“They are Abure faction of the party and their tenure has expired, so they have no authority to say I’m impersonating, I am the candidate of the party,” Ebiseni said

However, Ifoh, in the Abuja statement, explained that Olorunfemi emerged as its flag bearer following a keenly contested primary held in June at Akure, Ondo State capital.

While recalling that Ebiseni also contested for the governorship ticket on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and lost, the LP spokesman insisted he had neither relinquished his membership of the PDP nor formally identified with the Labour Party.

We also took note of some persons who are not members of the Labour Party but believed to be working for the Nigeria Labour Congress, which must have urged him on in their blind and illegitimate pursuit of the leadership of the party even when the Appeal Court has affirmed Julius Abure as the authentic chairman of the Labour Party.

Impersonation is a serious crime in Nigeria and we, therefore, urge the Nigeria Police, the Department of the State Security and all other security agencies to apprehend anyone impersonating or being used to fight a proxy battle through impersonation.

“The Labour Party is poised to win the Ondo governorship election having fielded a very credible candidate who is a grassroots politician, a prominent labour leader and a renowned educationist.

“We think this unholy alliance between Ebiseni and the NLC is geared towards frustrating our expected victory at the polls but we will resist it through every legal means.

“We are, therefore, calling on our party members in Ondo, particularly Obidient family and the entire electorate to ignore the gang up against the party and come out en masse to vote for Dr Olorunfemi of the Labour Party, secure our votes and make sure our votes count.”

Dr. Salihu Lukman, the former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the North-West, has urged Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Ameachi, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and Mallam Nasir El-rufai to form a new party immediately to save Nigeria.

Lukman also chastised the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) for the country’s current situation.

He stated that these major political parties cannot serve as platforms to rescue Nigeria from its current unfortunate self-inflicted downward spiral, which is causing widespread poverty and starvation.

The former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the North-West region also stated that the federal government has rendered all registered political parties ineffective.

Lukman, in a statement titled “What Next,” issued following the #EndBadGovernance protest, urged opposition leaders such as Alh. Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi, and Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to step forward and provide the necessary leadership to reform democracy and ensure the emergence of a functional political party capable of rescuing Nigeria.

In addition to opposition leaders, Lukman urged other APC political leaders, including Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Sen. Ibukunle Amosun, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and many others, who have been pushed out of the party, to join forces with opposition leaders to save the country and return Nigeria to the path of democratic development.

He stated that if the country’s democratic structures, such as political parties and the National Assembly, are functional, President Asiwaju Tinubu and many state governors should face immediate impeachment.

Speaking about the recently concluded protest, Lukman stated that the #EndBadGovernance protest fell short of public expectations due to the almost complete absence of initiatives at all levels to identify the protest organisers and engage them with the goal of attempting to end the protest. He also warned that every Nigerian should be concerned if the threat to resume October 1 materialised.

“As of now, there is information indicating that the organisers have set October 1 as the date for the protests to resume. Every Nigerian should be concerned about this situation. With governments at all levels failing to engage the organisers and effectively underestimating the organisers’ ability to mobilise for the protests, ordinary Nigerians are left at the mercy of angry Nigerians. The truth is that almost every ordinary citizen has the potential to join such an angry group simply because the country’s living conditions are harsh. Let no one be misled; the situation affects almost every living soul in Nigeria on an unprecedented scale that has never been seen before.

“Without a doubt, the withdrawal of petroleum product subsidies and the floating of the Naira’s exchange rate against other international currencies have triggered our current situation.” In an import-dependent economy, the two policies are likely to cause inflationary pressure. Unfortunately, the government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has yet to produce a clear, definitive policy response to the situation,” he said.

The former APC National Vice Chairman for the North-West stated, “A situation in which the government resorts to a cheap campaign of blackmail with the argument that the opposition is sponsoring the protests should simply be ignored.”

“Nigerians must face the challenge of rebuilding Nigeria’s democratic institutions. All Nigerians committed to the country’s democratic development must band together with young Nigerians who are legitimately angry about the harsh realities that citizens face.

“The goal must be to channel Nigerians’ rage into the formation of an identified political party and begin working towards the eventual defeat of President Asiwaju Tinubu and political leaders responsible for the current travails causing widespread hunger and starvation in the country by 2027.

“As it stands, President Asiwaju Tinubu’s administration appears to be on a roller coaster of increased spending in the midst of widespread hunger and poverty in the country, which contributes to the country’s extremely volatile situation. Every committed democrat in the country must recognise this challenge and seek to mobilise Nigerians to channel their rage in a creative and positive direction towards the reformation of the country’s democratic structures.

“Given that the majority of political leaders are already dissatisfied, and given how the government has rendered nearly all registered political parties comatose, the process of uniting dissatisfied political leaders from all parties must begin immediately.

“This is the point at which opposition leaders like Alh. Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi, and Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso should step forward to provide the necessary leadership to reform our democracy and ensure the emergence of a functional political party capable of rescuing Nigeria.

“In addition to opposition leaders, other APC political leaders who have been forced to leave the party should band together to save the country and return Nigeria to the path of democratic development.

“These leaders include Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Sen. Ibukunle Amosun, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and others. While acknowledging that initiatives in this direction are already underway, the country’s rising anger must be harnessed and directed to strengthen the emergence of a true functional political party distinct from the APC, PDP, LP, and NNPP. As it stands, these parties cannot serve as platforms to rescue Nigeria from its current unfortunate self-inflicted downward spiral, which is resulting in mass poverty and starvation.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) has once again failed to commence operations of the Port Harcourt refinery, Rivers State, despite multiple promises and postponements.

This marks the sixth time the project has been delayed.

Minister of Petroleum Resources (oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has announced that the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery is nearing its final phase, despite numerous missed deadlines and persistent delays. The refinery was originally scheduled for completion in 2019.

The refurbishment and upgrade of the Port Harcourt Refinery have faced significant setbacks over the years, including political wrangling, funding challenges, and technical difficulties. The project is seen as crucial for Nigeria’s energy independence and economic stability.

In July, NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, reaffirmed the company’s preparedness to commence crude oil refining at the Port Harcourt refinery in early August. However, this promise has also failed to materialize.

Kyari had earlier announced that production from the Port Harcourt refinery would begin two weeks from March 2024, but later reaffirmed an August start date. Despite this, the refinery has yet to commence operations, raising concerns about another failed promise from NNPC.

NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, stated on Tuesday that the refinery was “on course” despite the expired early August promise. However, Soneye did not respond to further questions about whether the refinery would still operate this month.

The repeated failures to meet deadlines have raised concerns about the credibility of promises made by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC regarding the refinery’s operations. As August nears its midpoint, the delay has sparked worries about another unfulfilled promise.