Headlines

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has suspended Wilcox Job, the paramount ruler of the Swali community in Yenagoa Local Government Area, over alleged links to cult activities involving his sons.

The suspension, which took immediate effect, was announced in a joint statement on Wednesday by Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, and Thompson Amule, Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs.

According to the statement, the traditional ruler was suspended for failing to provide the leadership expected of his office in combating crime and cultism, despite credible intelligence linking two of his sons to cult activities in the community.

“The commissioner of police has been directed to declare the two royal sons and all those involved in cultism in Swali wanted,” the statement read.

The commissioners further stated that all individuals connected to cultism in the area will be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted.

The Edo State Government has uncovered and sealed a brothel allegedly operating within the premises of Ujuele Primary School in Esan West Local Government Area.

The discovery was announced on Thursday during a press briefing in Benin City by the State Coordinator for the Protection of Government Property (PGP), Eugene Okolosie.

Okolosie stated that the action followed complaints from members of the affected community who reported that land grabbers had forged signatures to illegally acquire government land, including school property.

He added that the government had so far recovered over 2,000 plots of encroached land across the state and that discussions were ongoing with Governor Godwin Obaseki on the possible conversion of the reclaimed properties.

“In Ujuele Primary School, they built a brothel inside the school. We have sealed the brothel,” Okolosie said.

He further disclosed that over 150,000 houses in the state were erected on government-owned land.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that results for 379,000 candidates who participated in the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be released on Wednesday.

The rescheduled examination, conducted between Friday and Monday, followed widespread reports of technical and human errors during the initial UTME, which significantly affected candidates’ performance—particularly in Lagos and the South-East.

Acknowledging the lapses, JAMB cited system failures as the reason for the resit. The Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, had earlier accepted responsibility for the disruptions and announced the makeup exam while visibly emotional during a press briefing.

Out of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat the original UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of a possible 400, sparking public concern over the exam’s credibility.

Confirming the release date, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, told journalists on Monday that the resit results would be made public on Wednesday.

“The results of the candidates who took the rescheduled exam will be released on Wednesday,” Benjamin said.

According to the Board, a total of 379,997 candidates were affected by the initial glitches—206,610 from 65 centres in Lagos and 173,387 from 92 centres in the South-East.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has voted to retain the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.5 percent.

CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso made the announcement on Tuesday during a press briefing following the 300th MPC meeting held in Abuja.

“The committee unanimously agreed to retain the MPR at 27.5 percent,” Cardoso said.

Other key monetary parameters were also left unchanged. The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) remains at 45 percent for commercial banks and 16 percent for mortgage banks, while the Liquidity Ratio (LR) stays at 30 percent. The asymmetric corridor around the MPR was maintained at +500/-100 basis points.

Cardoso said the decision to hold rates steady was informed by recent data showing a slight easing in inflation. Nigeria’s headline inflation rate declined to 23.7 percent in April, according to figures released last week by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The MPC, he noted, will continue to monitor economic indicators and adjust policy tools as necessary to ensure macroeconomic stability.

Amid intensifying political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi is poised to formally declare his candidacy for president, this time as the leading contender rather than a running mate.

Multiple sources confirmed over the weekend that Obi, who ran in the 2023 polls under the Labour Party, is preparing to unveil his 2027 presidential ambition alongside the political platform he intends to contest under.

“Peter Obi will not run as anyone’s running mate. He led a three-day meeting with Atiku’s team, and they could not agree on the vice-presidential offer,” one source familiar with the negotiations said. “Within the week, he will present himself as a presidential contender and may unveil his party platform.”

The development comes as coalition talks between Obi’s camp and that of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar reportedly collapsed. Atiku is now said to be in advanced talks with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), exploring the possibility of contesting under its banner.

The ADC, currently led by Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, is undergoing a leadership restructuring and absorbing former members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), according to party insiders. The party is expected to emerge as one of the major platforms in a projected three-horse race for the presidency.

Chief Nwosu confirmed that several high-profile politicians have approached the party but declined to comment specifically on Atiku’s plans, citing the party’s upcoming primary and national convention.

The evolving political landscape suggests both Obi and Atiku are repositioning themselves ahead of what promises to be a highly competitive 2027 contest.