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The Edo State House of Assembly has removed Hon. Natasha Osawaru Irobosa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from her position as Minority Leader, marking a significant shift in the chamber’s leadership structure. The announcement, made on Monday, is part of a broader restructuring triggered by recent political defections. Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghian, also of the PDP, was similarly stripped of her role as Majority Leader. Meanwhile, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, another PDP lawmaker, lost his position as Chief Whip. Despite the shake-up, PDP lawmakers Hon. Blessing Agbebaku and Hon. Maria Edeko have held onto their roles as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively—for now. The changes stem from a letter submitted by Jarret Tenebe, acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, following the defection of four PDP lawmakers to the APC. This shift has cost the PDP its majority in the Assembly, prompting the realignment of key positions. Speaker Agbebaku, in his address, con...

  The Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Lilian Abai, has declared a one-week Easter holiday vacation for judges across the state’s judiciary. The break, spanning from Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, to Monday, April 28, 2025, was detailed in a statement issued by the Acting Chief Registrar of the High Court of Justice, Umuahia, Mrs. Alwell Beauty. According to the release, judicial activities will resume on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The holiday has been approved under Order 45, Rule 5(b) of the Abia State High Court Practice and Procedure, 2021, ensuring compliance with established legal provisions. The statement urged branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the general public to take note of the schedule, signaling a temporary pause in court proceedings during the Easter period.

 MODEL COLLEGES/UPGRADED JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS COMMENCE E-REGISTRATION FOR YEAR 2025 ENTRANCE EXAMINATION The Lagos State Government has commenced Year 2025 e-Registraton Entrance Examination (Screening Test) for primary 6 pupils transiting to junior secondary schools into its Model Colleges and Upgraded Junior Secondary Schools.  The Director, Lagos State Examinations Board, Mr. Adebayo Orunsolu confirmed that the e-Registration will commence on Thursday 6th February and ends on Friday, 16th May, 2025, adding that the Screening will be conducted through Computer Based Test (CBT) only between Wednesday, 28th May and Friday, 30th May, 2025, at the various CBT designated centres across the State. Mr. Orunsolu stressed that qualified pupils from public and private Schools are to pay a sum of #10,000 (Ten Thousand Naira Only) for the Application. Speaking further, the Director stated that the registration of prospective applicants will be done via the Examinations Board Portal ...

 LASG PLEDGES SUPPORT AT AUTISM ART EXHIBITION In a demonstration of commitment to inclusivity and support for creative expression, the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka has pledged the Lagos State Government's infrastructural and financial support to the annual Autism Art Exhibition. The Commissioner made the pledge on Saturday at the 7th edition of the event, held at TR Art Gallery, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where she commended the outstanding artistic talents of children on the autism spectrum and underscored the importance of providing platforms that encourage self-expression for neurodiverse individuals. “These are the kinds of support we can give to them,” the Commissioner stated. “It’s not just about funding - it’s about creating an environment where they can be seen, appreciated, and heard through their art.” Mrs. Benson-Awoyinka further encouraged parents of children on the autism spectrum to continue to nurture their creativ...

 The grand finale of Indian Idol 15 has crowned its winner — Manasi Ghosh  The singing reality show, hosted by Aditya Narayan, concluded its highly competitive season with a spectacular finale, where Manasi emerged as the winner, while Shubhajit Chakraborty was declared the first runner-up. Sneha Shankar also made it to the top three. Judged by musical heavyweights Vishal Dadlani, Shreya Ghoshal, and Badshah, the season was packed with powerful performances, emotional moments, and musical magic. Sony TV’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle announced the winner, writing, “After weeks of music, magic, and moments — Manasi didn’t just win a title, she won a million hearts.” Reacting to her win, an emotional Manasi said, “Abhi bhi mere ko hit nahi kiya hai ki maine yeh trophy jeeta hai. I’m blessed and grateful to get so much love from everyone. There’s a lot going on in my head. I am really overwhelmed. Thank you so much.” Nicknamed the “Idol ki crazy girl,” Manasi won over bot...

 Kano Court Jails Make-up Artist for Naira Abuse    Justice S.M Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Kano has convicted and sentenced a Make-up Artist,   Abdullahi Musa Huseini (a.k.a Amuscap) to six months imprisonment for Naira abuse.   He was jailed after pleading guilty to one-count charge bordering on abuse and mutilation of the Naira.   The charge reads: “That you, Abdullahi Musa Huseini, on the 6th day of December, 2024, at Ali Jita Event Centre, Kano, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) in 1000 notes denomination issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying  in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007".     Upon arraignment,  Huseini pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel,  Zarami Mohammed, t...

 PRESS RELEASE NATIONAL POLICE DAY: NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CELEBRATES MAIDEN POLICE DAY WITH GRAND CEREMONY IN ABUJA As President Tinubu Harps on improved welfare for Officers The Nigeria Police Force successfully commemorated its maiden National Police Day on April 7th, 2025, with a grand celebration held at Eagle Square, Abuja. The event marked a significant milestone in recognizing the vital role of the police in ensuring national security and stability. The highlight of the event was a spectacular parade and procession by police personnel, which showcased their professionalism and skills in the art.  The parade comprised an array of operational and tactical gadgets of the force such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robots, specialized EOD disposal vehicles, Special Intervention Squad air and land responses, K9 displays, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Special Protection Unit (SPU), and Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) drill displays, Peacekeeping Paraphernalia amongst others. In his add...

 EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General,  Others for Alleged N8.3bn Fraud The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  on Monday, April 7, 2025, arraigned the Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja,  before Justice O.A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja for fraud. Jaja was arraigned alongside a bureau de change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise. Others involved in the case, who are currently at large, include a former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Ibrahim Kashim, the incumbent Secretary to the State Government, Aminu Hammayo, Saleh U. Mohammed and Balarabe Abdullahi. The defendants are facing a nine-count charge, bordering on money laundering, diversion of public funds, and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N8,380,626,430.95 (Eight Billion, Three Hundred and Eighty Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-six Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty Naira, Ninety-fi...

 A New Jersey woman drowned her two young daughters in 2024. She has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.  27-year-old Naomi Elkins first captured the attention of the nation after the shocking events that occurred in her home on June 25th, 2024. Naomi made a chilling call to Hatzolah Ambulance service. In that call, Naomi stated "I did something to my kids" and "they're drowning". She informed dispatchers that her children might still be alive even though they quit "fighting". When first responders arrived to the home they were met by a heartbreaking scene. Naomi's two young daughters had both lost their lives at the hands of the one person whose job was to protect them. The ensuing investigation uncovered the tragic details of the little 1-year-old and 3-year-old girl's last moments. Naomi had stabbed the 1-year-old in the stomach before "holding her under water while she counted to 50 several times". After witnessing her li...

 A Mississippi man took a man's life and then ran to a nearby home to hide out. When the homeowner turned him away... he took her life too.  According to Jackson PD, an altercation occurred at 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.  During the course of the disagreement, 36-year-old Jarvis Anderson shot and killed an unidentified male. After the shooting, Anderson fled to a nearby home in order to hide out from police. The home owner, 37-year-old Tiffany Johnson, attempted to refuse entry to Jarvis. Sadly as a result Jarvis Anderson shot and killed Tiffany Johnson. Jarvis Anderson was apprehended a short time later and is now being charged with double homicide.  Our thoughts are with the families of victims.

 PRESS RELEASE FG  Re-appoints Registrar of  Community Health  Council  for Another Four Years  The Federal Government through Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has  re-appointed  Dr. Bashir Idris to serve  a second and final tenure as the Registrar/CEO of Community Health Practitioners’ Registration Council, an agency under the Ministry . His re-appointment is contained in  a letter presented to him by the Honourable Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, stating the four-year second tenure takes effect from  2nd  April 2025.  In his words of exhortations, Dr. Salako  urged the Registrar to regard his appointment by government as an attestation of satisfactory performance during his first tenureship, emphasizing, he should not rest on his oars but to consolidate on his previous achievements. Dr. Idris re-appointment therefore, the Minister continued, is expected to se...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE President Tinubu: We Will Engender Well-trained, Tech-driven, Modern Police Force **Outlines decisive measures to improve welfare, working conditions of personnel* **Says FG has institutionalized April 7 as annual National Police Day* President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restated his administration's resolve to engender a Nigeria Police Force that is well-trained, well-motivated and well-equipped with modern tools and technology to effectively combat crime in Nigeria. This, he said, had become necessary ensure to ensure the nation's security forces are constantly "steps ahead of those who threaten the peace, welfare, and prosperity" of the nation. Speaking on Monday during the maiden edition of the National Police Day celebrations which climaxed a week-long activities to mark the 2025 Police Week at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the President formally announced the institutionalisation of April 7 every year as National Police Day to honour fallen he...

 PRESS RELEASE 7 April 2025 To the Editors, Two Arrested for Criminal Conspiracy and Theft On 29 March 2025 at about 1900 hours, Yahaza Haruna, a 41-year-old resident of the Gidan Gona area in Bauchi Metro, reported to the Command that earlier that same day, at about 1800 hours, he parked his motor vehicle, a green 2000 model Honda Civic with registration number ALK-627-GG, at Yelwan Tudu market. Upon his return, he discovered the vehicle was missing and suspected theft by unknown individuals, prompting him to notify the police. Upon receiving the report, a team of detectives was assigned to investigate the matter and recover the stolen vehicle. Subsequently, the detectives intercepted the stolen car along the Maiduguri bypass near Awala roundabout. The vehicle was found with two individuals identified as follows: 1. Ibrahim Uzeru, a 30-year-old resident of Kashere Santuraki, Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State 2. John Paul  35-year-old resident of the Bayan Gari area, Bau...

 Iwobi Sets Premier League Record with 30+ Goals, Assists Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has become the first Nigerian to record over 30 goals and 30 assists in the Premier League. The landmark came in Fulham’s dramatic 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday, where Iwobi scored and assisted the decisive goal, bringing his EPL tally to 34 goals and 30 assists. His standout performance ended Liverpool’s unbeaten away run and lifted Fulham to eighth on the table, keeping their European hopes alive. Iwobi’s feat marks a new milestone for Nigerian footballers in the English top flight.

 Falana to FG: Tackle Killings, Insecurity Nationwide Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has urged the Federal Government to urgently address the widespread killings and abductions across the country, particularly in Benue and Plateau States. Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), described the ongoing violence by armed herders and gunmen as both unacceptable and preventable. While commending the swift arrest of suspects linked to the recent Uromi killings in Edo State and the prompt intervention by Governor Monday Okpebholo, Falana criticized the lack of similar urgency in other regions experiencing repeated attacks. He stressed the Federal Government’s constitutional duty to protect lives and called for the immediate prosecution of suspects already in custody, warning against delayed justice. Falana questioned why security forces, often deployed en masse during elections, are not similarly mobilized to pre...

 Okpebholo Approves N1bn for Payment of Pensioners’ Gratuities Owed Since 2012 Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has approved N1 billion for the payment of outstanding gratuities to pensioners, some of which have been pending since 2012. The governor said the move marks the beginning of efforts to clear the backlog of entitlements inherited from past administrations, describing it as a crucial step toward addressing the hardship faced by retired civil servants. “For over a decade, many of our retirees have suffered due to the non-payment of their gratuities. This administration is putting an end to that,” he stated. Governor Okpebholo reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of pensioners and ensuring they receive their entitlements without further delays. He assured that the payments would be made in phases through a transparent and structured verification process, adding that mechanisms would be put in place to prevent similar delays in the futur...

Kidnapped Kenyan officials released after two months, minister says Five local Kenyan officials have been released from captivity, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on Monday, two months after they were kidnapped by suspected Islamist gunmen in the northeast of the country, Reuters reported. Gunmen believed to be from the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group abducted the village chiefs, who were government-appointed local officials, in Mandera county in February near the border of Somalia, where the insurgents are based. "We decided to work together with the community, and to work with the county government of Mandera... and this process has borne fruit," Murkomen told journalists, according to footage by broadcaster NTV Kenya seen on X. Local media reported that al Shabaab had taken the chiefs across the border into Somalia. Murkomen said the chiefs were in the hands of Kenyan officials and that they would be "arriving home any time soon," though he did not say...

 EFCC Arrests Suspected Fraudster Buying  Bank Accounts Details for Fraud Operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  have arrested one Olawole Sunday, a suspected fraudster who specialised in buying bank accounts’ details from individuals with which he defrauds unsuspecting members of the public. Sunday's modus operandi involved encouraging young people to open multiple bank accounts, pay them either N25,000 or N50,000 for each account and collect their bank details including Automated Teller Machine,  ATM cards.  Sunday allegedly employed the account details of one Uyi Godstime Eghosa to defraud a petitioner the sum of N2 million under the guise of trading in forex.  The account owner,  Eghosa was arrested and his disclosure that he was unaware that his account was used in defrauding members of the public, led to Sunday’s arrest.    Eghosa explained that he relinquished his account detai...

 PRESS RELEASE MINISTER OF INFORMATION LEADS HEADS OF AGENCIES TO BROADCASTERS CONFERENCE IN LAS VEGAS In an effort to strengthen broadcast collaborations and form strategic alliances, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris fnipr, has led a delegation of heads of government agencies to the 2025 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference and Workshop in Las Vegas, USA. The NAB event, running from April 5 to 9, carries the theme “The Technology, The Trend, The Future” and will cover a range of topics, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud visualization, the creator economy, and sports production and streaming. The Minister is joined by key Directors-General and CEOs of Nigerian broadcasting agencies, including Comrade Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, Director-General/CEO of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA); Mr. Ali Muhammed Ali, Managing Director/CEO of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); Charles Ebuebu, Director-General/CEO of the National Br...

 Nigeria, Saudi Arabia tighten the noose on drug cartels as NDLEA, GDNC sign MoU  . It’s a partnership that’ll reinforce frontline of law enforcement against global drug trafficking networks, says Marwa in Riyadh The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to strengthen operational partnership and tighten the noose on drug trafficking networks operating between both countries. Highlights of the MoU include: exchange of intelligence between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, the Saudi will avail NDLEA its training Academy for joint training, provision of operational logistics to NDLEA, conduct of joint investigations and exchange of data on convicts. Speaking at the signing of the partnership agreement in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday 7th April 2025, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) who was accompanied by...

 ANAMBRA JOINT SECURITY TEAM INTENSIFIES SECURITY PATROL IN NNEWI AND IHIALA AS CP ORUTUGU HAILS ONITSHA AND AWKA RESIDENTS ON IMPROVED ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE STATE ON MONDAYS The Anambra State Joint Security team comprising the Police, the Army from the 302 Artillery Regiment (GS), the Navy from the Naval Command, Department of State Security, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Anambra State Vigilante, today 7th April, 2025 intensified security patrols in the State especially in Nnewi and Ihiala environs. The exercise is aimed at checkmating any untoward situations in the area. The Security patrol had in its convoy security and operational armoured vehicles purposefully driven to encourage business owners and residents to come out and engage in their legitimate activities.  Given the above, the Commissioner of Police *CP Ikioye Orutugu fwc MNIPS PhD* hails Awka and Onitsha residents and relevant stakeholders especially...

 NIGERIAN NAVY SHIP SOROH CONDUCTS MEDICAL RHAPSODY IN BAYELSA STATE On Friday 4 April 2025, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH led by the Commander, Commodore OA Akinbami conducted a Medical Rhapsody in Tombia Community, Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State. The Rhapsody had series of services rendered to members of the Community which included free general consultation, free blood pressure checks, eye screening with free medicated glasses, free laboratory tests, free insecticide treated nets as well as health talk. In his remarks, the Commander NNS SOROH stated that the outreach was in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral EI Ogalla’s strategic directive to all Commands, Ships and Establishments to conduct a medical outreach to host communities. Lastly, he said that the outreach will enhance Civil Military relationship with the host community thereby aiding intelligence gathering. In attendance was the Acting paramount ruler of Tombia Community, Chief (Egnr) Ayabowei Christian...

 FG to deliver 75,000 electricity meters in April, 200,000 units in May — Adelabu The Federal Government has said it will deliver the first batch of over 3.2 million electricity meters procured to bridge the over 7 million units metering gap in the country.  In a Sunday statement, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Bolaji Tunji, the minister said 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 are expected by April 2025. The second batch of 200,000 meters will follow in May 2025. “While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story – one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by the Federal Government of Nigeria to close the metering gap”, according to Tunji. “Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been progressing steadily. As of December 2024, a total of 5,502,460 customers had been metered, representing about 55 per cent...