In a powerful show of commitment to education and youth empowerment, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has approved a ₦1 billion annual bursary scheme for all Edo indigenes studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. The bold initiative, announced just months into his tenure, was born out of a passionate plea by Edo youths during a recent town hall meeting with the governor. Moved by their voices and determined to act, Okpebholo wasted no time in turning promises into policy. The chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua in a statement quoted the him to have indicated that, “This…
Author: National Update
The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with a violent armed robbery attack in Katoge Village, located in Kazaure Local Government Area of the state. The arrest, which followed a coordinated early morning operation on Thursday, was the result of a joint effort involving the Kazaure Divisional Police Headquarters, Operation Salama, local vigilantes, and the community’s neighbourhood watch. The suspects were captured around 4:00 a.m., shortly after they allegedly stormed multiple homes in the village, robbing residents of valuable property. Speaking on the incident, the Command’s spokesperson, Shi’isu Adam, said the operation was based on credible…
In a nation grappling with calls for accountability and reform, Omoyele Sowore has once again stirred the hornet’s nest—this time by spotlighting what he calls a “deliberate erosion of institutional discipline” within Nigeria’s top security agencies. With characteristic defiance, the former presidential candidate and pro-democracy activist has demanded the immediate retirement of three of the country’s most powerful uniformed officials: Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and Comptroller-General of Immigration Kemi Nandap. According to Sowore, all three have exceeded the mandatory 35-year service limit and should have long bowed out in accordance with Nigeria’s Public…
In a move signaling efforts to streamline its air fleet and respond to growing public demands for fiscal accountability, the Federal Government has placed Nigeria’s aging Boeing Business Jet (BBJ)—formerly used for presidential travel—up for sale in Switzerland. The jet, a Boeing 737-700 BBJ acquired in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has been retired from service following the arrival of a new Airbus ACJ330-200, which now serves as the country’s official presidential aircraft. The BBJ is currently undergoing technical inspections at AMAC Aerospace in Basel and is listed for sale on Controller, a leading international aircraft…
“We’re Not Hungry, We’re United” Ododo declares In what many are calling a political tsunami, thousands of opposition party members in Kogi West Senatorial District on Saturday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a show of strength that may redefine the state’s 2027 political landscape. The massive defection rally, held at the Itedo Makutu Open Space in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area, had the markings of a grand political endorsement—complete with party flags, cultural displays, and loud chants of victory. The event was headlined by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who boldly declared that the people of Kogi…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse | July 5, 2025 The Chairman of Gumel Local Government Council in Jigawa State, Hon. Lawal Ya’u, has passed away at the age of 61. According to family sources, Hon. Ya’u died Saturday afternoon at a private hospital in Kano, after a brief illness. He was reportedly receiving treatment before his condition deteriorated. The late chairman, who was elected in August 2024, was a retired civil servant before venturing into local politics. He had earned respect for his quiet but impactful leadership in Gumel LGA. He is survived by two wives and many children. Hon. Lawal…
Amid chants of unity, hope, and historic justice, the long-sustained cry for the creation of Okura State roared back into national discourse on Friday, as traditional leaders, political figures, and advocates from Kogi East Senatorial District passionately addressed the Senate Constitutional Review Committee at its North Central public hearing held in Jos, Plateau State. Presenting under the umbrella of the Okura State Movement, the delegation—led from the ancient palace of the Ata Igala in Idah—called for the urgent creation of Okura State out of present-day Kogi State, alongside the formal recognition of 14 additional local governments which they say are…
Rauf Aregbesola, former Minister of Interior and interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has urged his growing base of supporters to shun political brawls and instead arm themselves with facts in their quest for national transformation. Addressing ADC faithful in Lagos after a rousing welcome on Friday, the ex-Osun governor made it clear that the party’s mission is not to trade insults, but to offer a superior argument rooted in the painful realities Nigerians are living through. “There is no need to fight or insult anyone,” Aregbesola said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “When others…
In a groundbreaking development for Nigeria’s marine logistics sector, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has berthed the country’s first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel, the MV Ocean Dragon, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025—a landmark that signals growing indigenous capacity and a shift toward sustainable, intra-African maritime trade. The vessel, owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, carries an International Maritime Organization (IMO) number of 9508770 and has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). Designed for short-sea shipping, it offers a strategic alternative to the overburdened and risky road freight system by navigating Nigeria’s inland coastal waters and regional trade…
By John Akubo In the evolving mosaic of Nigeria’s federalism, the agitation for state creation remains one of the most enduring political demands—one that speaks to equity, representation, and developmental justice. Among the loudest and most consistent calls is the quest for Okura State, proposed to be carved out of the present-day Kogi East. And at the very heart of this agitation stands Senator Jibrin Isah, popularly known as Echocho—a lawmaker who has emerged as the unmistakable arrowhead of the movement, combining constitutional tact with grassroots passion. For the people of the Igala/Bassa bloc, the creation of Okura State is…