The Federal Government has moved to curb the controversial installation of “Eze Ndigbo” in foreign countries, backing a sweeping decision by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and South East traditional rulers to abolish the practice outside Igboland, following a series of international incidents that have strained Nigeria’s diplomatic relations. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, delivered the government’s position at the high-level Imeobi meeting of Ohanaeze in Enugu on Thursday, 9 April, 2026, describing the proliferation of Igbo “kings” in the diaspora as a growing embarrassment to Nigeria and a trigger for avoidable conflicts abroad. She warned that while diaspora…
Author: Khadijah Olowode
Nigeria’s drive to strengthen its criminal justice system received a fresh boost on Thursday as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, threw his weight behind practical legal training as a catalyst for reform, urging emerging lawyers to take ownership of the country’s rule of law. Speaking in Abuja through his representative, Hauwa Dimka, at the Administration of Criminal Justice Academy Moot Competition, Fagbemi underscored the urgent need to move beyond theoretical legal education to hands-on experience that prepares young practitioners for the realities of Nigeria’s justice system. The competition, organised by the Juristrust Centre…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi Social Behavioural Change Specialist with the Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mr Eki George has identified sociocultural norms and influences as one of the leading factors to maternal deaths in Nigeria with Bauchi as one of the states with high rates of mortality in the country. Eki George stated this while delivering a paper at a one-day partnership training held yesterday at the Late Mohammed Abdullahi Conference Hall of NUJ Bauchi Council Secretariat, to improve reporting on health issues affecting women and children. The training programme was put in place…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi Bauchi State has recorded a major milestone in its development journey, emerging as the most active state in large-scale infrastructure expansion in the North East, particularly in the areas of transport and housing. This recognition, captured in the 2024 National Infrastructure Report, underscores the state’s growing reputation as a hub of purposeful governance and strategic development. The achievement is widely seen as a reflection of the visionary leadership of Governor Senator Bala Mohammed, whose administration has consistently prioritized infrastructure as a key driver of economic growth and social transformation. Under his stewardship, Bauchi has witnessed…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi As part of measures to address security concerns in the state, Bauchi State, the Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has directed for the immediate suspension of all commercial activities in 24 cattle markets operations in Alkaleri, Bauchi, Kirfi and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of the State. The measure which was taken in order to checkmate activities of bandits and other criminal elements, and particularly in addressing security concerns arising from the use of such markets to support criminal activities including rampant cattle rustling, killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, facilitation of exchange of weapons and…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi A group of people within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bauchi State, Concerned APC members, has declared that nobody can stop Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, from joining the party if that is his wish and determination. The group therefore extended warm and special invitation to the Governor to immediately and without delay lead his teeming supporters in to the APC. The development is coming on the heels of the planned defection of Bala Mohammed, from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), continue to generate debates The group also called…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has urged the Federal Government to deploy excess crude oil revenue to subsidise local refineries as a measure to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on Nigerians. TUC President, Festus Osifo, made the call on Thursday, 9 April,2026 during a press briefing in Abuja, warning that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) could rise to as high as N2,000 per litre if urgent measures are not taken. He said the persistent increase in pump prices, driven by global crude oil volatility and exchange rate pressures, has worsened…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The United Nations has allocated $48 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to sustain humanitarian air operations in Nigeria and seven other countries amid a worsening global funding crisis. The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, approved the allocation on Thursday, 9 April, 2026 in New York to keep the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operational in Nigeria, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria, thereby ensuring continued access to hard-to-reach communities. A UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said the air service remains critical to humanitarian operations, particularly in conflict-affected…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Federal Government has approved the deployment of VPASS, a contactless biometric passenger verification system, across Nigeria’s domestic airports to strengthen aviation security, improve data integrity and boost revenue. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, 9 April ,2026 in Abuja by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Chindaya Adamu. He explained that the initiative targets data inconsistencies and unauthorised boarding practices within the sector. Keyamo said the system would eliminate discrepancies in passenger records and enforce strict identity verification for domestic travellers. “The…
By Tunde Odesola (Published in The PUNCH, on Friday, April 10, 2026) In Nigeria’s bustling cyberspace, Albert Ofosu Nketia is a name that needs an introduction, but his face doesn’t. At barely seven, Nketia’s meme is potentially the most popular kid video in the Nigerian social media space. The fluky kid holds a permanent residency in the phones of millions of Nigerians who carry him about rent-free without knowing his name or nationality. You probably have seen him crying and laughing altogether on your phone today. Nketia is that little boy in a faded, black-and-white checkered shirt worn over torn…