The UK government has announced a significant increase in the financial requirements for international students, effective from January 2nd, 2025. This marks the first adjustment to the financial thresholds since 2020, reflecting rising cost-of-living expenses across the UK. 

Under the new rules, international students will need to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover their living expenses for up to nine months. The financial requirements vary depending on whether students plan to study in London or outside of the capital:

• Studying in London: Students will now need to show evidence of having £1,483 per month, up from the previous £1,334, representing an 11.2% increase.
• Studying Outside London: Students must prove they have £1,136 per month, up from £1,023, reflecting an 11.1% increase.

These adjustments aim to align the financial requirements for international students with the maintenance loans available to domestic students, with the last financial review taking place in 2020.

To meet the new financial threshold, students intending to study in London for nine months or more will need to show a total of £13,348 in savings, based on the new monthly requirement of £1,483.

Reports confirm that the UK government made these changes to keep pace with inflation and rising living costs. The increased financial requirements are intended to reflect the growing cost of living in the UK, ensuring that international students can support themselves during their studies.

The chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, has raised concerns about internal party loyalty, citing Senator Dino Melaye’s actions during the recent Kogi gubernatorial election.

In a recent interview with Daily Trust, Umar Iliya Damagum, addressed remarks made by Senator Dino Melaye, who had referred to the PDP as a "once upon a time party."

Damagum didn't mince words, squarely placing some of the responsibility for the party's challenges on Melaye's shoulders.

"Let me remind you about that statement credited to Dino. He's part of the problem," Damagum said, citing Melaye's run for governor in Kogi State, where, according to the chairman, the senator didn't even vote for himself. "Put that on record: he didn’t go out to vote in his own election," Damagum emphasised, highlighting what he viewed as a lack of commitment to the party.

The PDP Chairman went on to question Melaye's role in allegedly harming the party’s image, stating that anyone given the party’s platform has a responsibility to uplift its fortunes. He acknowledged that while winning or losing is part of the process, candidates owe it to the party to at least lose "credibly."

Senator Dino Melaye has been suspended by the PDP for alleged anti-party activities, further deepening internal rifts within the party.

Controversial artist, Portable has announced the birth of his daughter with his fourth baby mama, Ashabi Simple.

The singer took to his Instagram page to share the good news with his followers.

He expressed his gratitude to God for the successful birth of the newborn.

According to Portable, he is welcoming his third female child.

Portable wrote, “ZAzuu With hearts full of joy, we welcome our third princess to d world, thank you GOD for not shaming us, eyitayo Alhamdulilahi. God bless you my woman I fly with you forever @ashabi.mohsimple_ Mummy @fitilamihan_atandaogo iya new born baby Akoi Blessings my beautiful princes welcome to the world Ọmọ OGO OGO Ni God bless BADMUS family”.

Nigeria will soon introduce a Digital Travel Certificate (DTC) to enhance border security and improve the travel experience in line with global best practices, announced Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Interior.

Tunji Ojo made this announcement during the closing ceremony of a two-day capacity-building workshop on advanced passenger information/passenger name record (API/PNR) solutions for Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) personnel. The workshop was organized by Newworks and led by specialists from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The Digital Travel Certificate (DTC) will be a digital version of a traveller’s identity, potentially replacing traditional passports. It will include the traveller’s facial image, biographical data, and security features validated through the issuing authority’s public key infrastructure. This initiative aims to streamline and secure international travel by facilitating easier verification of travellers’ identities and vaccination statuses.

Tunji-Ojo emphasized that introducing the DTC is part of a broader strategy to modernize border control and enhance security. “We are not stopping here. Once we deploy the API and PNR, we will move on to implementing the Digital Travel Certificate,” he said. He also expressed readiness to collaborate with IATA and other global partners on additional border control solutions.

The Controller General of the NIS, Kemi Nana Nandap, highlighted the significance of the training, noting that it was the first of its kind. “This specialized training for API and PNR will make our borders more secure, enable target-based clearance at airports, and enhance our ability to monitor cross-border crimes,” she said.

Nandap commended the minister for his leadership in advancing these technologies, which had been in planning for nearly 14 years without success. The new systems will allow faster and more seamless passenger clearance and provide better foresight regarding who enters the country.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has doubled down on his threat to instigate anarchy and unrest in states of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike and Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State have been at daggers drawn over the political control and structure of the state.

Amid the virulent power tussle, the PDP governors forum declared their support for Fubara against the minister.

Exasperated by the governors’ position, Wike had threatened to put fire in the state of any governor who interfered in the political crisis in Rivers State.

However, featuring on Channels TV Politics Today, Wike said he had not changed his position on his threat to the governors, saying heaven would not fall.

“I said it to the governors forum and I repeat without any apologies to anybody anywhere. Heaven will never fall, in fact; if heaven falls there will be peace.

“You mean as I sit as FCT Minister from Rivers State, the only person I can say I have no relationship with is the governor of Zamfara, I don’t know him; if I see him now I won’t know him.”

He asserted that the governors’ action was tantamount to violation of the constitution, saying he would not stand by and let that happen.

“I know all other governors and they know me and we have a relationship. You mean you want to violate the processes and constitution of our party.

“After your meeting, you came out on national television as chairman of the forum to read a communique that their brother in Rivers state – whether legal or not – and I’m sitting as FCT Minister from that state listening, and you expect me to fold my arms because you are a governor?

“You look at me and tell me that? Expecting me to fold my hand for everything to be well?”

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has reopened the verification portal for nurses and midwives on its website.

Checks by our correspondent on the NMCN portal on Saturday showed that nurses and midwives can now submit verification requests.

Our correspondent confirmed that the verification portal was reopened on Friday.

When our correspondent checked the portal, it read, “Good news, verification requests are back online.

“Please note that henceforth expiration dates on renewal applications will be calculated based on the date you applied.”

Also, a nurse, Anthony Ijeoma at Nursingworld Nigeria, confirmed that the portal has been reopened.

Ijeoma commended the efforts of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives for bringing the change to fruition.

“I also commend NMCN for listening to reason and reopening its verification portal for nurses within and outside the country,” he stated.

PUNCH Online reported that the sudden deactivation of the verification portal by the council in February plunged countless Nigerian nurses and midwives working abroad into turmoil.

Already, some nurses without the necessary verification from the NMCN find themselves in violation of visa conditions and employment laws, resulting in legal consequences.

Many nurses abroad, including those in the United Kingdom and the United States, have been forced to return to the country over the issue.

On February 7, the council released a circular on the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives in the country.

By the circular, nurses and midwives must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing licence, and the council shall request a letter of good standing from the chief executive officer of the applicant’s place(s) of work and the last nursing training institution attended and responses on these shall be addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN, among others.

This led to state councils and chapters of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives in Nigeria in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Kaduna, Yenagoa, Ondo, Plateau, and others to petition the nursing council and the headquarters of their association to demand the withdrawal of the circular on certificate verification.

Some nurses and midwives also protested the guidelines, and some dragged the NMCN to court, and the court case was withdrawn.

On February 27, the House of Representatives also asked the council not to implement its revised guidelines for issuing verification certificates to nurses and midwives in the country.

The professionals have said that the council’s action is an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities abroad.

They also said it was not unconnected to the plan of the Federal Government to reduce the number of health workers emigrating out of the country to seek greener pastures abroad.

On Friday, NANNM appealed to the Federal Government to address the association’s demands with urgency.

The National President of the association, Michael Nnachi listed some of the pressing needs of the association as the re-opening of the nurses and midwives certificate verification portal, payment of salaries of all staff of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, constitution of the board, creation of special nurses salary structure or immediate review of nurses peculiar professional allowances.

Former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria is in a crisis with 38 million people on the verge of extreme hunger.

Obi berated the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress administration for engaging in wasteful spending which, according to him, had further worsened the living conditions of Nigerians.

He listed some of the wasteful spending of government as the purchase of a new presidential jet at $100m, N21bn for the renovation of the vice president’s lodge, and N15bn for the construction of the National Assembly clinic.

“You cannot ask people to fast while you are feasting”, Obi added.

Obi, who spoke during an interview with News Central TV, said the Federal Government must use its lean resources to address issues in key development areas such as health, education, poverty alleviation, and security.

“From all records, Nigeria has 38 million people on the verge of extreme hunger; we are the poverty capital of the world. The two most critical areas that are giving us the crisis are human insecurity and food insecurity. To deal with this, we need to invest in agriculture to solve hunger, unemployment, and inflation,” Obi said.

He hinted at the possibility of a merger with other opposition parties to salvage Nigerians from hunger and widespread insecurity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

There are indications that the leading political parties in the Edo governorship election are ready to outdo one another in vote-buying to win the poll scheduled for next Saturday.

Our correspondents gathered that the parties had started amassing “war chests” in a desperate bid to compromise voters.

A highly credible source said the Edo poll could set a new record for vote-buying in the history of elections in the country.

“A vote could go as high as between N15,000 and N20,000. There are plans by agents of some of the parties to mop up voter cards. How they intend to use the cards is what nobody knows. This is why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission are being deployed for the election,” the source added.

Another source confirmed plans by the parties for what he called “heavy vote-buying”.

“I can confirm to you that the parties are ready to do whatever it takes to win this election and that includes paying as high as N20,000 for a vote.

“Unfortunately, doling out of gift items during campaigns has become entrenched in our political system with voters themselves mortgaging their votes for a ‘pot of pottage’. The voters are all partners in crime and what they fail to understand is that collecting gift items and cash from candidates and political parties makes them vulnerable.

“They will not have the moral justification to question the government if it fails in its responsibility to provide developmental projects in the state. After all, they (the electorate) have been paid upfront.

“Unless the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies work together to ensure that citizens are discouraged from selling their votes, this might be an election where the buying of votes becomes an all-time high,” the source added.

Another source urged INEC and security agencies to monitor the activities of parties and their agents on election day.

He said, “I have spoken to some members of two of the leading parties and they said that they are preparing to bring out cash to induce voters. So INEC and security agencies should be ready to combat this.”

Parties already paying voters

A frontline election monitoring organisation, Yiaga Africa, said both the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress had been inducing voters ahead of the election.

Yiaga expressed worry that the parties had abandoned the election mandate and resolved to induce voters with cash and materials.

The Media Officer of the organisation, Jennifer Dafwat, while speaking with Saturday PUNCH, said the group witnessed and documented political parties and politicians distributing cash, presents, and food items to entice voters.

“Election mandates are becoming less credible as a result of this sad trend. These incidents were primarily noticed or heard about in the Uselu market, Egor LGA, where market women received monetary gifts ranging from N1,000 to N2,000 from the APC and PDP parties during their campaign tours.

“Similarly, PDP campaigners gave wrappers to women who joined the campaign gathering in the Amiebonkhian community of Esan North East LGA. In the Ubiaja community of Esan South East LGA, PDP campaigners also gave several store owners shirts, caps, umbrellas, and as much as N2000,” she added.

The Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Conference of Registered Political Party, Samson Isibor, described the plans as unwholesome.

He noted that whoever bought votes did not mean well for the masses.

While admitting that it would be difficult for people to reject such offers due to economic hardship, he urged the electorate to vote their conscience.

He said, “What they are engaging in is transactional politics, where buying and selling of votes becomes the order of the day.

“We do not want  politics to degenerate into this. Those who buy votes are not coming to serve the people. You don’t need to buy votes from the people you want to serve. All you have to do is sell your manifesto to them.”

PDP, APC, LP exchange tackles

The Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, told Saturday PUNCH that the APC had demonstrated a significant propensity for vote-buying.

Osadolor stated, “The APC has shown that they are not prepared for the election; they are gearing up for violence and vote buying. That is why they have not campaigned on issues but have instead relied on federal might.

“In contrast, the PDP is ready for this election and any future elections because we have done our homework and the people are with us. We also have the most credible candidate, and the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has achieved a lot, which will swing votes to the PDP.

“The APC has demonstrated a significant propensity for violence and has even recruited some members of the Nigeria Police Force into their scheme. We also know they are planning to engage in heavy vote buying, which will be resisted.”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, also said the APC had shown signs it was not committed to a free, fair, and credible election.

He said, “Since it became evident that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is heading towards decisive victory, the APC and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, have become desperate, resorting to violence and intimidation to undermine the will of Edo State voters. Reports indicate that the APC has set up a torture squad to abduct innocent Edo residents and take them to undisclosed locations.

“This use of violence and intimidation reveals that the APC and its ineffective candidate are intimidated by Dr Asue Ighodalo’s growing popularity in Edo State.”

Ologunagba also claimed that the APC was importing thugs from Imo State to assist in an election manipulation scheme.

He noted that residents were prepared to use every lawful means to confront and resist attempts to disrupt the governorship election.

But the APC dismissed the allegations, insisting that Governor Obaseki was plotting to rig the September 21 governorship election.

The National Publicity Director of the party, Bala Ibrahim, said, “The PDP has made a name in rigging. But because their rigging mechanism has been uncovered and defeated, everything about them falls around rigging. Now that they can not unleash their rigging tactics, they have refused to sign the Peace Accord.

“They have seen that the people are ready to protect their votes and won’t allow rigging; this is why they are making noise all over the place about arrest, rigging, vote-buying and others. This is even a sign that the PDP has lost grip and the real meaning and intent of democracy.”

Ibrahim denied that the APC had plans to buy votes, adding that the party lacked the means.

Also, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Edo State, Peter Uwadiae, said his party had no reason to engage in vote-buying.

He said, “We are not in the business of buying votes and we don’t have any reason to do such. We are not paying for votes. Buying of votes is an electoral offence and we cannot be seen to be committing an offence when we are planning to win the election.

“The only party that will buy votes is the one that feels it has not been accepted and this is a wrong step to be taken by any political party that means well for the Edo people.

“We are a decent party, we have done so well in our campaign and the people have shown that we are accepted and are ready to demonstrate that on election day.”

The Labour Party Public Relations Officer, Sam Uruopa, distanced his party from vote-buying, saying only the APC and PDP were known for such.

He said, “The APC and the PDP are the ones involved in vote-buying if what you heard is correct. That has been their practice, they also rig elections and are involved in other electoral malpractices. We are urging INEC and the security agencies to watch officials of these political parties closely, especially during the election.

“For the LP, we are not vote buyers and the people are with us. However, we are scared about this age-long practice they have been known for, that they have used to cripple this country and used to bastardise the electoral system.”

The Deputy Director General, Media, Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Olu Martin, said parties that did not have popular candidates engaged in the practice.

He said, “I can’t speak for other parties but it is not unusual in a democracy to see people trying to induce voters, especially for parties who don’t have popular candidates.

“For us in the PDP, our fellowship is organic, our candidate is known, our manifesto is clear, we have endeared ourselves to the people. We even have people who are donating to us and ready to mobilise people to go out and vote. They are even ready to give us money to run the campaign. If you buy votes, you now become like a social contractor hoping to recoup what you have spent. It is the people that will suffer.”

EFCC, INEC warn parties

The spokesman for EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said vote buying is an economic crime and the commission would not tolerate it.

“We will not allow any kind of criminality in any form,” he stated.

“The same spirit and focus that we have been using to fight all other crimes, will be deployed be the commission to fight criminality including vote-buying.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the electoral body had asked security agencies to go after vote buyers.

“Therefore, it will be a big mistake for any political party to think that its members can engage in vote-buying on election day because law enforcement agents will move against them. I would strongly advise anyone thinking of doing it to have a rethink. Apart from the fact that vote-buying is an electoral offence, it will also go against the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord that the political parties and their candidates signed only on Thursday here in Benin City,” he added.

Obaseki raises the alarm

Meanwhile, the Edo State Governor Obaseki, has alleged that INEC is working in cahoots with the APC to postpone the governorship poll on the eve of the election.

A statement on Friday said the governor spoke while addressing members and leaders of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

Obaseki, who had earlier refused to sign the peace agreement, noted that the country’s democracy was at risk.

He said, “They plan to postpone the election on the eve of the election to destabilise us. But whenever they postpone the election, we will win the election. It will be a long fight but we know it’s a struggle.”

“APC has not offered us an alternative. They have not campaigned on any meaningful thing we can hold them onto. They don’t have any credible candidate but all they boast of is federal might. They say they will write the results and we can go to court. We will not go to court because they can’t write the results. If they write the results, they will meet the consequences.”

Many women are growing increasingly fearful following the rise in cases of boyfriends killing young women for ritual purposes in different states.

The women view the killings as a reflection of societal failure, greed, and cruelty, leaving them feeling unsafe, even in public spaces.

One recent case involved a 25-year-old man, identified simply as Elisha, who was arrested on May 14 for allegedly killing his lover in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Similarly, Christiana Idowu, a female student at the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was kidnapped and killed on August 19 by one Ayomide Adeleye, who had previously been accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2018.

Other cases include the August 6 arrest of Fatai Mogaji in Lagos State for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Opeyemi Shoyinka, to death, and the chilling murder of 19-year-old Damilola, a student at the Federal University in Lokoja.

Damilola’s killer, 20-year-old Jeremiah Samson, was arrested after dismembering and burying her remains in a shallow grave.

These violent incidents have caused widespread panic, particularly among young women in southwestern Nigeria.

A 22-year-old lady, Adenike Araoye, expressed fear about dating in light of the alarming rise in ritual killings.

“I am single, but I’m terrified of entering a relationship. The news of boys killing their girlfriends is terrifying. Good guys seem rare these days,” she said.

A student at the Osun State University, Mariam Oyebamiji, while speaking on general insecurity in the society, said, “I don’t want anyone to destroy my parents’ joy.”

Another lady, Oluwatobiloba Ajiboye, 30, also shared her concern over how easily women had become targets for ritualists.

She, however, urged women to be vigilant in relationships, pointing out that many relationships were based on deception.

“These killings show that some men never truly loved these women; the relationship was just a cover for their sinister plans,” Ajiboye said.

She also warned that materialism and dating fraudsters, often referred to as Yahoo boys, increased the risks for women.

Ajiboye attributed the rise in ritual killings to the harsh economic climate and societal pressure, which she believed had pushed many young men to seek quick wealth through deadly means.

Also, a journalist, Nafisat Oyedele, lamented society’s disappointing reaction to femicide, often blaming the victims instead of addressing the root cause.

“It’s heartbreaking to see so many femicide cases in Nigeria, yet society blames the victims. Girls are told to stay home, but even at home, they aren’t always safe. Many are killed by people close to them,” Oyedele said.

An activist, Titilope Adako, identified the killings as a form of gender-based violence.

She explained that some perpetrators enter relationships with the intent of using their partners for rituals.

Adako said, “The fact that intimate partners, who should offer love and support, are committing these brutal acts is a clear sign of societal failure.”

She also pointed out that the crimes were fueled by a toxic mix of superstition, desperation, and ignorance.

She explained that the belief that human sacrifice leads to wealth, combined with a lack of effective law enforcement, creates an environment where violence is normalised and criminals feel emboldened.

Adako added, “The lack of remorse shown by some of these killers highlights the severity of the issue.”

Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), says the federal government is working “tirelessly” to end insecurity across the country.

NAN reports that Ribadu spoke on Friday in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe, during a condolence visit to the state over the recent insurgency attack in one of the communities.

The NSA praised personnel of the armed forces and other security agencies for their efforts in tackling insecurity.

He added that their sacrifices have improved the security situation in the country.

“The federal government is working tirelessly to end insecurity,” he said.

“It’s only a matter of time before the entire nation is secure.”

Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of economy, also commiserated with the people who lost loved ones to the incident.

Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, thanked the federal government delegation, noting that the visit gave the people of the state a sense of belonging.

He urged Nigerians to continue praying for the success of President Bola Tinubu, saying “his success is the nation’s success”.