Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Federal Government has arraigned Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, The government arraigned the female lawmaker on Monday on six counts bordering on alleged cybercrime against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator pleaded not guilty and Justice Mohammed Umar granted her bail on self-recognition. The judge adjourned the case to September 22, 2025 for commencement of trial. Applying for bail, her counsel, Roland Otaru (SAN), had requested that she be granted bail on self-recognition as a Senator of the Federal Republic…

THE National Youth Service Corps has denied extending the service year of a Lagos corper, Rita Uguamaye, also known as Raye, for criticising the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This newspaper reports that Raye became an Internet sensation following her public criticism of the present administration, which she described as worsening economic conditions. Uguamaye had, in a viral video shared on her TikTok account, @talktoraye, expressed frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, lamenting the high inflation and economic hardship. Uguamaye had also criticised the President by describing him as a “terrible leader” while questioning the government’s efforts to alleviate the…

THE Federal Government has suspended two personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over attempts to procure international Passport for an inmate. The suspension was announced in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Umar Abubakar. Abubakar, a Deputy Controller of Corrections, described the incident as a misconduct “detected through the automated passport application and other holistic reforms within the Nigeria Immigration Service.” He also said the detection of the misconduct was as a result of interagency collaboration in the Ministry of Interior. Abubakar who explained that the incident happened a fortnight ago, added…

THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed an agreement for the implementation of the Startup Hub Project with Chief Consultant, Consortium of Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd., Intem Consulting Inc. and Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd, engaged by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the execution of the project. It could be recalled that on 10th April, 2025, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, signed the MoU on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, while Mr. Yuzurio Susumu, Chief Representative of JICA Nigeria Office signed on behalf of the Japanese government to foster innovation, support…

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public against investing in Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT. In a statement on Wednesday, the Commission flagged the duo as unauthorised crypto assets, adding that the promoters or issuers of Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT were not registered to operate in any capacity in the Nigerian capital market. It also noted that the cryptocurrencies were not approved for issuance to the public. “Preliminary investigations revealed that ZUGACOIN and SAMZUGA GPT are Meme coins. Meme coins generally have no use case, intrinsic value, or tangible projects backing them. “Any attributed value to meme coin…

THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 11 new cases of Lassa fever, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease this year to 143. According to the agency’s latest situation report, the new cases were recorded in week 23 of 2025 in Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, and Taraba states. One healthcare worker was also infected during the same period. The NCDC noted that the current case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 18.9 per cent, up from 17.8 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024. “This year’s CFR is concerning as it indicates a higher fatality…

THE Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, on Monday said that the ongoing salary crisis affecting federal tertiary institutions was caused by a rushed and uncoordinated migration from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). Ogunjimi, who spoke at an interactive session in Abuja with vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and heads of regulatory bodies, said the migration failed to follow established technical guidelines, resulting in delayed salary payments, irregular third-party deductions, and unremitted pension contributions. “Failure to comply with the recommendation to prepare a trial payroll for the remaining two…

MULTICHOICE Nigeria’s subscription revenue fell to $197.74 million (ZAR3.5 billion) in the full year ending March 2025 from $355.93 million (ZAR6.3 billion) in the corresponding period of 2024. The decline was driven by a churn in its Nigerian customer base amid high inflation and deteriorating economic conditions. “Sizeable customer losses in Nigeria as high inflation adds more pressure on consumers,” it said. Inflation stood at 23.71 percent in April 2025. Since its financial year ended March 2023, the pay-TV provider has lost 1.4 million subscribers in Nigeria. The country accounted for 77 percent of the 1.8 million total subscribers lost…

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the National Open University of Nigeria is not inferior to other universities in the country. Obasanjo said this on Monday when he played host to some of the university’s officials who came on a courtesy visit to confer on him the Alumni Award member. The former president initiated the resuscitation of NOUN on April 12, 2001, during his first term of office. Obasanjo also got his PhD from NOUN after he left office. The former president added that he had firsthand experience with the standard of the institution, hence his declaration. He noted that…

THE suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, will appear in court on Tuesday, as summoned. This was confirmed by her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), on Sunday. Idahosa, however, expressed uncertainty about whether the Federal Government planned to arraign her on Tuesday. He said that whatever the plans of the Federal Government, Akpoti-Uduaghan, as a law-abiding citizen, would comply with the court’s directives. The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan, alleging that she made defamatory statements during a live television broadcast and a private telephone…

THE Federal Government has announced plans to deploy seven million smart meters through its Presidential Metering Initiative, aiming to eliminate estimated billing and reduce revenue leakages. The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday. Speaking on the second anniversary of Tinubu’s administration, Verheijen stated that the smart meters would end collection losses for most on-grid customers who are currently unmetered. She explained that the meter deployment is part of the administration’s efforts to improve the commercial value chain of gas-to-power. “There…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday set aside a judgment of the Federal High Court in Kano which nullified the composition of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission and the local government election held on October 26, 2024. A three-judge panel, led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, said the Federal High Court did not have the power to hear cases about state electoral bodies and their members. It said these matters should be handled by the Kano State High Court. The Court of Appeal allowed the three appeals filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered a suspension of student visa processing as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up vetting of their social media, according to an internal cable. The latest move, which will affect international students including Nigerians, a major source of revenue for US universities, after Rubio rescinded hundreds of visas and the Trump administration moved to bar Harvard University from admitting any non-Americans. The move will affect the migration phenomenon known as Japa which has been popularised by Nigerian youths leaving the country in their droves for economic prosperity and job security in faraway…

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted three days of moderate-heavy rainfall in 14 States across the country. The States predicted to experience the heavy downpour are: Bayelsa, Rivers, parts of parts of Delta, Ondo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Abia, Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger. The forecast period, according to the heavy rainfall forecast bulletin by the agency, is Wednesday 28 to Friday 30th May. The agency while noting that strong winds may accompany the rains, added that there are prospects of flash flooding as a result of the expected moderate to heavy rainfall. It…

SAUDI Arabian authorities have announced sightings of the Dhul Hijjah crescent, which means, pilgrimage will start on June 4, while the day of Arafah will fall on June 5. According to Arab News, the announcement was made by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Muslims who are not performing the pilgrimage this year will celebrate Eid-el-Kabir on June 6. The Supreme Court urged Muslims across the Kingdom to look out for the crescent moon on Tuesday — Dhu Al-Qa’dah 29 — and report any sightings as soon as possible to their nearest court. The Kingdom has also announced a weeklong Eid…

THE United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day, a significant federal holiday in the United States. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced through its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, noting that the annual holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, is dedicated to honouring American military personnel who lost their lives in service to the nation. “Memorial Day is a time for reflection and remembrance of the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces,”…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the creation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division under the ICT Department. The Commission made this known in a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, on Thursday. He said that the approval for the creation of the new division is to continue to harness the positive aspects of AI and mitigate its negative impact on elections in 2027. According to Olumekun, the division will enable the commission to better coordinate and maximise existing technology investments through centralised AI governance. He added that it…

A PROFESSOR of Pharmacology at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Helen Ochuko Kwanashie, has said that the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of learning democratises education and breaks geographical barriers. Kwanashie, of the NOUN’s Faculty of Health Sciences, stated this in an exaugural lecture that she delivered on Thursday at the university’s headquarters in Abuja. The lecture, titled: “From Chalkboards to Digital Networks: A Career Academic’s Forty-Four Year Journey from Face-to-Face Teaching through Open and Distance Education to Social Learning,” traced her four and a half decades of teaching career, marked by dedication and unwavering commitment to…

THE joint action committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Allied institutions (NASU) has rejected the recent distribution formula adopted for the disbursement of the ₦50 billion approved by the Federal Government for University based unions. The ₦50 billion is to be shared among SSANU, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). However, in a statement, the non-academic unions expressed disappointment that 80% of the allocation was given solely to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), leaving only 20% to be shared among SSANU, NASU, and NAAT.…

MANY people have reportedly lost their lives at the popular Karu bridge on the expressway that links both the Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory. Eyewitnesses said the crash involved a trailer and a vehicle conveying sachet water, commonly referred to as “pure water.” The accident comes barely 24 hours after a fatal crash claimed lives at the same location, raising concerns over road safety along the busy corridor. This newspaper reports that in this year alone, the road, along the Nyanya-Keffi linking Benue and Plateau states had recorded at least three different fatalities. Currently, emergency responders are at the…