President Bola Tinubu has ended the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, clearing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly to resume duties effective September 18, 2025. Announcing the decision in a nationwide broadcast on Wednesday, Tinubu recalled declaring the emergency on March 18 after “a total paralysis of governance” crippled the state. He cited vandalised oil infrastructure, legislative divisions—four lawmakers backing the governor against 27 aligned with Speaker Martins Amaewhule—and stalled governance, including failure to present a budget. “Even the Supreme Court… held that there was no government in…
Author: National Update
***promises flexible payments, sustained quality By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja The Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, has defended the institution’s recent upward adjustment of tuition fees, saying the move was carefully considered, widely consulted, and essential to maintain educational standards amid soaring economic pressures. Prof. Usman made this clarification during an interactive session with Student Union leaders and security agencies as the 2025/2026 academic session begins. He stressed that the decision was neither arbitrary nor rushed but followed extensive deliberations by a committee that included key stakeholders. According to a statement by Uredo Omale, Director of…
***Put Kogi on Nigeria’s Food Map By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Food prices are tumbling across Kogi State, thanks to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s sweeping agricultural reforms, Commissioner for Information and Communications Kingsley Femi Fanwo announced Wednesday. He said the governor’s hands-on support for farmers and a crackdown on hoarding have stabilized markets and brought relief to households battling high costs of living. According to a recent survey, a 50kg bag of rice that sold for ₦85,000 in March now costs ₦62,000–₦65,000. Medium yams have plunged from ₦2,000 to ₦1,200, while a paint bucket of garri is down to ₦2,400 from…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Federal Government has commenced a three-day training on Safe School Response Coordination for security personnel in Jigawa State, reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to protecting schools and children across Nigeria’s northern states. Speaking in Dutse, AC Joseph A. Shuaibu, Head of Training at the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said the programme aims to strengthen participants’ capacity to create secure learning environments. “This training is designed to enhance our officers’ skills, technology use, and collaborative efforts to address evolving risks,” Shuaibu noted. “It…
Three Nigerians wrongly accused of drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia are on their way home after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled a trafficking syndicate that planted narcotics in their luggage at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA). The detainees—Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddieq—were arrested in Jeddah on August 6, 2025, upon arrival from Kano on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. They spent four anxious weeks in custody when baggage tagged in their names was found to contain illicit drugs. Outraged families alerted Nigerian authorities, prompting a high-level NDLEA investigation. The probe exposed a sophisticated…
By Fatima Ndagi, Abuja The Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja pulsed with urgency and optimism on Tuesday, as politicians, industry experts, and concerned citizens gathered for the unveiling of the Benue State 2027 Roadmap, a sweeping blueprint to tackle insecurity, youth unemployment, industrial decline, and leadership gaps ahead of the next election cycle. Organized by the Markolima Consultancy Academy (MACA) in partnership with the Nigerian Good Governance Initiative (NGGI), the event was chaired by Chief (Dr.) Terlumun Akputu, JP, Executive Director of FHA Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. In his welcome address, Dr. Timothy Aikyor, Chairman of the Benue 2027 Roadmap…
***84.26% Score Five Credits and Above The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results for school-based candidates—just 54 days after the last paper—reporting a strong performance rate and announcing disciplinary actions to protect exam integrity. Registrar/Chief Executive Prof. Dantani Wushishi, briefing journalists at NECO headquarters in Minna on Wednesday, said 1,367,210 candidates registered for the exams, with 1,358,339 eventually sitting. Of these, 818,492 candidates (60.24%) obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, while 84.26% achieved five credits and above regardless of English and Mathematics. Prof. Wushishi praised the improved pass…
***Pledges Full Support for Regional Growth By Umar Muhammed, Lafia The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has officially secured its first operational base after the Nasarawa State Government donated a newly refurbished office complex in Lafia—a move hailed as a catalyst for regional unity and rapid development. Governor Abdullahi Sule, presenting the keys to the Shendam Road facility on Tuesday, described the donation as “a concrete demonstration of Nasarawa’s readiness to fast-track development across the North Central.” He thanked President Bola Tinubu for initiating the commission and praised fellow governors for rallying behind the idea, even as he promised to…
By Umar Muhammed, Lafia Governor Abdullahi Sule has directed immediate repairs on the Keana-Giza road, which was completely severed by recent floods, warning that further delay could isolate Keana town from the rest of the state. The governor gave the order on Tuesday during an on-the-spot assessment of flood damage in Keana Local Government Area and an inspection of the ongoing Keana-Abuni-Kanje road project. “The impact of the flood is most devastating on the road connecting Keana and Giza,” Sule said. “Commuters now have to go through Lafia and Obi just to get between the two communities. This is something…
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2025 Anambra election, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, is at the center of a political uproar following a viral video showing him confronted outside the Transcorp Hilton Hotel by men accusing him of owing ₦1 billion. The footage, widely circulated on social media, captured Ukachukwu, his wife, and young son being approached by a group who claimed the debt was linked to financing his governorship bid. The confrontation has intensified already heated rivalries ahead of the November 8 polls. Supporters of incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) quickly seized…