Author: GANUX

 

The Anambra State Government has banned the distribution of food items and other gifts to street beggars in public spaces, particularly under the Aroma Bridge in Awka, the state capital, and other locations.

 

The state government also banned all forms of public begging, loitering, and street trading beneath the bridges in Awka, insisting that the move became necessary to uphold the dignity and order of the capital city, which is the face of the state.

 

A statement released by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State Capital Territory Development Authority, Ossy Onuko, on Thursday, stated that the directive is part of the state government’s efforts to sanitise the capital city and maintain public order.

 

Onuko said anyone found violating this new directive will be arrested and prosecuted.

 

He, however, cautioned content creators, philanthropists, and charity groups against distributing food, cash, or any form of alms to street children and beggars in public spaces, particularly.

 

While acknowledging that some of the “charitable acts” were for good intentions, he expressed concerns that they are inadvertently contributing to the continued loitering and congregation of destitute individuals in dangerous locations.

 

He said, “The government has closely observed the activities of some content creators, philanthropists, and charity groups who encourage and sustain the indiscriminate roaming of children under the Aroma Bridge by consistently giving out food, drinks, and cash gifts to these kids.

“Although their intentions may be noble, they ultimately contribute to the degradation of the capital city and put the lives of these children at risk. These children are exposed to potential harm, such as being knocked down by vehicles, abused by unruly adults, or even recruited into criminal activities.

 

“Such actions are illegal and we hereby warn that any individual or group found engaging in them will be seen as promoting civil disorder and will face legal action.”

 

He also advised that all charitable activities be conducted through accredited institutions, such as orphanages, care homes, and registered non-governmental organisations, where support can be provided in a more structured and secure manner.

 

Onuko further urged the general public to work with the state government to uphold the dignity and order of the capital city, which represents the face of Anambra State.

 

“Charitable acts should be channeled through accredited organisations such as orphanages, care homes, and registered NGOs, where support can be professionally administered to those in need.

 

“Alternatively, donations can be made to private homes and spaces that do not create public nuisances,” he added.

 

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has confirmed that over 60 bandits were killed during the recent attack on Mansur Village in Alkaleri Local Government Area.

 

The incident, which occurred two weeks ago, also claimed the lives of vigilantes and civilians.

 

During a condolence visit to the affected village on Thursday, Governor Mohammed revealed that 21 people from the community lost their lives in the bandits’ attack, including 13 vigilante members and 10 civilians.

 

He described the incident as a serious security challenge but noted that the attackers also suffered heavy losses due to the bravery of the combined security forces.

 

“As they inflicted serious loss on us, over 60 of them died too in the fierce battle. So the loss is not only that our people have been killed. Our security forces also decimated over 60 of them. This shows the chivalry and courage of our people. Despite their superior firepower, we were able to contain them through these young and able-bodied vigilantes and security agencies,” he stated.

 

The governor extended his condolences on behalf of the state and federal governments and said he is working closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser to prevent future attacks.

 

“We are here on behalf of the government to commiserate with this community, especially the communities of Alkaleri, Gwana, Duguri, Yelwan Duguri, and parts of Bauchi Local Government.

“I want to convey to you the commiseration of the Federal Government, especially the Office of the National Security Adviser. We are going to get a lot of assistance to enable you to work with strength and encouragement,” Mohammed said.

 

He announced financial support for the victims’ families: ₦5 million for each of the families of the deceased vigilantes, and ₦3 million for the families of the civilians. Additionally, ₦20 million will be provided to support logistics for vigilante operations in the area.

 

Mohammed also revealed plans to recruit over 2,100 vigilantes across the state before the end of the year, starting with 300 to 500 personnel from the most affected communities.

 

He stressed that the recruits will be placed under a structured minimum wage scheme and trained by security agencies to ensure discipline and avoid extrajudicial actions.

 

He called on traditional leaders to help identify informants who may be undermining security efforts in their communities.

 

Meanwhile, the governor has assured residents that the government is taking decisive action.

 

“These people have come to the wrong place. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our people to live. Definitely, we will do everything. If it comes to a point where I have to throw away this ‘Babanriga’ and join you, I will join you, In Sha Allah,” he stated.

 

US President Donald Trump on Thursday renewed talk of seeking a third term in office, which is barred by the Constitution, in a highly political address to US troops in Qatar.

 

Speaking to uniformed soldiers at the Al Udeid base, Trump again falsely claimed to have won the 2020 election against Joe Biden.

 

“We won three elections, ok? And some people want us to do a fourth. I don’t know. We’ll have to think about that,” Trump said.

 

He pointed to the sales of products advertising a 2028 run, but also suggested that the effort was intended to annoy his rivals.

 

“The hottest hat is — it says Trump 2028. We’re driving the left crazy when you see that,” Trump said.

 

The US Constitution’s 22nd Amendment limits a president to two elected terms.

Trump in an interview earlier this month with NBC News acknowledged that he cannot run again and suggested Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors.

 

Trump’s speech to troops took on the tone of a campaign rally, despite the traditional understanding that the US military is a non-partisan institution.

 

Addressing the troops, some of whom smiled, Trump mocked Biden by saying the former president would not have had the stamina for a secret trip to Baghdad of the sort Trump took during his first term.

 

Trump repeatedly denigrated Biden in front of foreign officials and business people during his trip, saying earlier on Thursday in Doha that his predecessor was a “stupid person”.

 

Trump ended the address to troops with the Village People song “YMCA”, which has become an anthem at his rallies.

 

AFP

 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday said the United Kingdom would begin talks with other countries on establishing “return hubs” for failed asylum seekers as part of efforts to tackle irregular migration.

 

Speaking during an official visit to Albania, Starmer told GB News, “What now we want to do and are having discussions of… is return hubs, which is where someone has been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned… and we’ll do that, if we can, through return hubs.”

 

The Labour leader is under increasing pressure to reduce the number of irregular migrants arriving in the UK, particularly those crossing the English Channel in small boats.

 

The issue has gained urgency amid the rising popularity of the hard-right Reform UK party, led by anti-immigration figure Nigel Farage.

 

During his two-day trip to the southeastern European country, cracking down on illegal migration was high on the agenda.

 

The visit comes after Starmer’s government, which took office following last year’s general election, scrapped a controversial plan by the previous Conservative administration to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda.

Earlier this week, Starmer also unveiled a raft of new immigration measures aimed at tightening the UK’s borders.

 

These include reducing the number of overseas care workers, extending the time required before migrants can apply for settlement, and introducing new powers to deport foreign criminals.

 

The Labour government had pledged in its election manifesto to significantly cut net migration, which stood at 728,000 in the 12 months to June 2024.

 

That figure followed a peak of 906,000 in 2023, a sharp increase from the average of 200,000 throughout most of the 2010s.

 

While legal migration has surged, the UK has also witnessed record levels of irregular migration. According to an AFP tally based on UK interior ministry data, more than 12,500 people have crossed the Channel so far this year.

 

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN), has applauded the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Ishaq Oloyede, for his transparent and accountable leadership in addressing issues surrounding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results.

 

In a letter dated May 15, 2025, and shared on Facebook, Professor Egbewole praised the Board’s approach in managing the controversies that followed the release of the UTME results.

 

PUNCHONLINE reported that Oloyede, in a press conference on Wednesday, admitted that the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination was marred with errors.

 

Addressing particularly the public admission of errors that affected over 300,000 candidates, the letter read, “As a University, we want to put on record the fact that the Board approached the issues that arose on the result with truthfulness and nothing was hidden from the public,” the Vice Chancellor wrote.

 

He lauded the JAMB registrar’s commitment to ethical leadership, noting that the handling of the situation demonstrated “courage, honesty of purpose, integrity, strength of character,” and served as a model for the younger generation.

The Vice Chancellor particularly commended the Board’s rare decision to accept full responsibility for the errors, despite the fault originating from a service provider.

 

According to him, such openness and integrity are “uncommon phenomena in Nigeria.”

 

Professor Egbewole, who also identified the JAMB Registrar as a distinguished alumnus of UNILORIN, extended the institution’s pride in his exemplary leadership and described him as a “worthy ambassador” of the university.

 

“We pray that God will continue to lead you and grant you the grace to be of more invaluable service to our country,” he added.

 

The 2025 UTME, which had faced criticism following technical issues that led to the disruption of thousands of candidates’ results, prompted swift intervention and a public apology from JAMB, along with steps to address the affected candidates

 

The Lagos State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party has said it will adopt a consensus mode of primaries to choose its candidates for the July 12 Local Government election in the state.

 

The Lagos State Publicity Secretary of NNPP, Mr Richard Benson, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos.

 

Benson said, “We are adopting the consensus approach for our primaries.

 

“In places where we have many aspirants, we shall ask others to step down for the popular and strong aspirants to fly the party’s flag.”

 

He, however, said that the date for the primaries had not been fixed, assuring that it would hold within the window provided by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission.

He added, “We are fully involved and participating in the local government election in Lagos.

 

“We are going to win some seats because we have areas where we are strong.

 

“We are going to win in our strongholds. We will spring a surprise in the election.”

 

When asked to list the party’s strongholds, the spokesman said that he would not reveal the areas so as not to let out the party’s strategy for the election.

 

NAN

 

The Lagos State Government has restricted working hours on building sites statewide to the hours of 7.00 am to 6.00 pm, Monday to Saturday.

 

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, in Alausa on Thursday.

 

He said, “The restriction order must be strictly adhered to by all those involved in building construction in the State, as relevant Government Agencies would enforce compliance.

 

“However, concession to work outside these hours could be granted, subject to formal application that would be treated on its merits.”

 

According to Olumide, the move to restrict working hours on building sites was expedient to protect the environment, combat building collapse, and promote social well-being and wellness.

 

He urged residents to report any site found to be violating the order.

 

In 2024, following the collapse of a two-storey building that claimed the lives of five construction workers at Arowojobe Estate, in the Maryland area of Lagos State, the General Manager of Lagos State Building Control Agency, Gbolahan Oki, banned people, particularly labourers, from sleeping at construction sites in the state.

Oki gave the directive in a statement signed by the agency’s Director of the Public Affairs Unit, Olaoye Olusegun.

 

The statement read in part, “Henceforth, nobody should be found sleeping in any building under construction after the close of work, especially at night.

 

“LASBCA officials will be inspecting construction sites across the state, especially at night, to ensure that nobody is sleeping inside any building under construction.

 

“Construction period in the state remains from 7 am to 7 pm Monday to Saturday excluding Sundays.

 

“Henceforth, any property developer or owners who engage workers to carry out construction work on Sundays and beyond 7 pm on Monday to Saturday will have his or her property sealed indefinitely.

 

“This directive becomes necessary to safeguard the building construction industry and ensure that buildings in the state are safe, secure, and fit for habilitation,” the statement added.

 

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to the development and deployment of information technology to advance education in Nigeria.

 

Minister of Education Dr. Olatunji Alausa gave this assurance at the 2025 Information Technology Professional Assembly held at the NAF conference centre, Abuja, saying the government was aware of the importance of IT in the 21st century and its potential for widening access to education at all levels on Wednesday.

 

The annual IT Professionals’ Assembly, organised by the Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), brought together industry players, government officials, policy makers, lawmakers, academia, civil society and all strategic stakeholders to deliberate on IT-based issues.

 

The minister noted that information technology is a critical sector and the flagship of other professions, adding that at the government circle, it is a profession that is taken seriously in the course of the nation’s aspiration for sustainable development.

 

Alausa, whose speech was read at the event by a Deputy Director of Science Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Olie Frank, however, expressed concerns about quackery in the IT profession while urging CPN to strictly enforce its regulations by ensuring that all individuals and corporate organisations that are into information technology practice register with the Council to allow for effective regulation of computer education and practice in Nigeria.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is conscious of your efforts at enforcing the Act that established CPN by making it mandatory for all individuals and corporate organisations that are practising information technology in Nigeria to be duly registered with CPN.

 

“The global practice is for professionals to regulate their profession properly in order to exterminate quacks and undesirable elements from making incursions into the profession,” he said.

 

Earlier, President and Chairman of the Council of CPN, Kole Jagun, noted that the yearly IT Professionals’ Assembly has created a niche for itself as a gathering of information technology professionals and practitioners in Nigeria and the diaspora to discuss and strategise on emergent issues in IT in order to come out with recommendations and decisions that would impart positively on the industry and the nation.

 

He added that this year’s event, which is the 19th in a series of Information Technology Professionals’ Assemblies, would focus on issues aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s cyberspace from cyber threats, online fraud, fake news, and hate speech, while fostering international alliances and promoting local technology development.

 

“This gathering is more than just a meeting; it is an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and inspire one another. The rapid evolution of technology demands that we stay ahead through continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and professional networking,” he state.

 

The Kogi Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, has said that strong synergy between the Nigeria Police Force, and Nigerian Navy, particularly the Marine Police, would enhance waterways security in Nigeria.

 

The commissioner said this when Students of Junior Course 99 (JC 99) of the Nigerian Navy Department of Maritime War College, paid an operational visit to the police command in Lokoja.

 

Dantawaye commended them for choosing the command as one of the stops on their operation tours across the country.

 

“It’s my belief that this visit will significantly sharpen the effectiveness and professional readiness of the marine police officers.

 

“Again, this will further consolidate the collaboration and synergy between the police and navy, particularly marine police as it relates to waterways security,” he said.

 

The guest lecturer for the event, Ali Usman, state marine police officer in Kogi, made a presentation on: “Consolidating Multi-Agency Cooperation for Enhancing Nigeria’s Maritime Security.”

 

Usman traced the history of marine police, its structure, roles, and specific operations within Kogi, highlighting operational challenges and recommending solutions for stronger synergy between the marine police unit in Kogi and NNS Lugard.

 

In his remarks, the Team Leader and Director, Department of Maritime Warfare, Commodore A.O. Ojebode acknowledged the open-hearted reception by the CP and his management team.

Ojebode commended the depth of the lecture and discussions, which he described as critical in enhancing national maritime security.

 

He said the operational visit was in line with the JC 99 course theme: “Consolidating Multi-Agency Cooperation for Enhanced Nigerian Navy Operations.”

 

“The Nigerian police force, being a critical security agency with direct responsibility for internal security, is chosen for this engagement to enable students to interact, learn, and develop pragmatic solutions to security challenges through enhanced cooperation.

 

“⁷This historic visit reaffirms the commitment of the Nigerian police force and the Nigerian navy to building a stronger, united front against all maritime and inland waterway-related threats,” he said.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit is a core component of the JC 99 curriculum aimed at exposing the students to real-time operations, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and enhancing their understanding of national security architecture, particularly in inland maritime environments.

 

Ojebode, who led the team, was accompanied by two Chief Instructors, eight directing members of staff, and a total of 120 students, including 21 female officers and two international representatives from Ghana and the Republic of Congo.

 

The Kwara State Government has ordered the immediate closure of Government High School and Government Day Secondary School, Adeta, Ilorin, following repeated incidents of student unrest.

 

This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Peter Amogbonjaye.

 

According to the statement, the State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, said the decision was necessary to restore order and ensure safety.

 

This action comes after violent clashes between students, disruption of academic activities, and vandalism of school property within the two institutions.

 

He explained that only students currently sitting the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations and their teachers would be permitted on school premises during the exam period.

“Dr Olohungbebe added that students who are involved in the SSSCE examinations are enjoined to always put on their identification cards while coming to the school premises and urged parents and guardians to allow their children and wards to stay with them at home,” the statement read.

 

He warned that security officers would apprehend any student flouting the directive.

 

The government reiterated its commitment to maintaining discipline and safety across all public schools in the state.

 

NAN