The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has revealed the data showing student loan applicants by state of origin.

President Bola Tinubu in July launched NELFUND.

The revised Student Loan Act 2024 was signed to remove financial barriers and make education more accessible to all Nigerian students, regardless of their economic background.

The loans cover tuition, fees, and maintenance costs. The repayment process starts two years after the beneficiary completes the NYSC program.

The Federal Government recently allocated over N2.5 billion in student loans to over 22,00 students nationwide, with institutions in the Southeast notably absent from the list of beneficiaries.

Students from Kano and Borno States have emerged as the frontrunners in the NELFUND student loan applications.

Kano State recorded 17,122 applications out of 20,814 registered tertiary students.

Borno State followed closely, with 13,798 students applying for the loan out of 16,353 registered students.

These figures were shared on NELFUND’s X account, highlighting the distribution of registered students and subsequent loan applicants by state of origin.

Benue State ranked third, with 11,754 of its 16,127 registered students applying for the student loan.

Oyo State saw 14,086 students register, with 8,990 moving forward with the application process.

In Kaduna State, 13,873 students registered, and 10,380 proceeded to apply.

Katsina State had 13,538 students register, of which 10,952 eventually applied.

Osun State registered 13,368 students, with 8,093 applying for the loan.

Kogi State saw 12,675 students register for the NELFUND student loan, with 8,400 of them proceeding to apply.

In Plateau State, 11,624 students registered, and 9,328 of them went on to submit their loan applications.

Adamawa State had 11,219 students register, of which 8,977 successfully applied for the loan.

Kwara State recorded 11,126 registrations, with 7,645 students applying for the loan.

In Taraba State, 10,699 students registered for the student loan, and 8,668 of them proceeded to apply.

Yobe State had 10,398 students register, with 8,966 going on to apply for the loan.

Ogun State saw 10,387 registrations, with 5,943 students moving forward with the application.

Akwa Ibom State recorded 9,594 registrations, with 6,525 students applying for the loan.

In Bauchi State, 8,358 students registered, and 6,517 applied for the student loan.

Kebbi State had 7,873 students register, with 6,333 proceeding to apply for the loan.

Gombe State recorded 7,594 registrations, with 6,121 students applying for the loan.

Niger State saw 7,487 students register, and 5,804 of them went on to submit their loan applications.

In Jigawa State, 6,937 students registered, with 5,535 successfully applying for the loan.

Ondo State had 6,519 students register, with 3,854 proceeding to apply for the student loan.

Nasarawa State saw 6,192 students register, and 4,789 of them applied for the loan.

Ekiti State recorded 6,065 registrations, with 3,497 students applying for the loan.

In Imo State, 5,458 students registered, with 2,802 going on to submit their loan applications.

Delta State saw 4,943 registrations, with 2,771 students applying for the loan.

Ebonyi State recorded 4,749 registrations, with 2,981 students applying for the loan.

In Cross River State, 4,282 students registered and 2,476 of them proceeded to apply.

Enugu State had 4,133 students register, with 2,247 successfully applying for the loan.

Abia State saw 4,068 registrations, with 2,170 students moving forward with the application.

Lagos State recorded 3,947 registrations, with 2,347 students applying for the loan.

Anambra State had 3,747 students register, with 1,840 proceeding to apply for the student loan.

In Zamfara State, 3,721 students registered, and 2,986 of them successfully applied for the loan.

Edo State saw 3,612 registrations, with 2,149 students applying for the loan.

Rivers State recorded 3,612 registrations, with 2,162 students applying for the loan.

Sokoto State had 3,014 students register, with 2,055 proceeding to apply for the student loan.

Bayelsa State saw 1,977 students register, with 1,267 of them applying for the loan.

In the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 894 students registered for the loan, while 676 proceeded to submit their applications.

Kelechi Ndukwe has made history as the first Nigerian to command a US Navy warship.

Kelechi was promoted to the rank of Commander in the US Navy on Thursday August 29 2024.

Sharing the news on his official X, a US Army Officer, Victor Agunbiade congratulated Ndukwe on his achievement.

Sharing pictures from the promotion ceremony, Ogunbiade wrote; “Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the newest US Navy Captain Kelechi Ndukwe. The first Nigerian to have a command of the US Navy War Ship! Congratulations on your promotion Captain! Well deserved.”

Reacting to the news on X, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, congratulated Ndukwe on his achievement.

“A hearty congratulations to Navy Captain Kelechi R Ndukwe who has been promoted to the rank of Navy Captain from Commander, in the US NAVY.”

The deal between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the new Super Eagles Coach Bruno Labbadia have been aborted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NFF had earlier announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with German tactician, Labbadia to become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

However, a statement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, on Friday quoted the NFF President, Musa Gusau as saying that the deal between the NFF and Labbadia had been botched.

Gusau explained that stringent regulations of German tax authorities had conspired to abort the agreement between the NFF and Coach Labbadia.

“We have been on the tax issue for the past three days.

“I told him clearly that there was no way the NFF will agree to offset the concomitant tax percentage on his salary that will be demanded by German tax authorities.

“It is not possible for us to shoulder the responsibility of shelling out another money, between 32 per cent to 40 per cent of his salary, after paying the agreed monthly wage.

“The NFF and Labbadia reached an agreement in principle before we made the announcement that he would become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

“The tax details were never part of our discussions, and he had personally agreed to all terms before the tax issue came up.

“We were doing our best to be flexible in the discussions but he was adamant that the NFF had to pay the full tax amount as well. We simply cannot do that,” Gusau said.

He added that with the latest development, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen will now take charge of the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen will lead the team for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic in Uyo, Sept. 7 and Kigali, Rwanda Kigali, on Sept. 10.

NAN reports that this would be Eguavoen’s fourth stint in charge of the three-time African champions, after earlier experience in 2005 to 2007, 2010 and 2022.(NAN)

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has found himself sidelined as the Serie A club has handed his iconic number 9 jersey to their new signing, Romelu Lukaku.

This development follows a summer of intense transfer speculation and a reported fallout with the club’s hierarchy, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Nigerian striker, who played a pivotal role in securing Napoli’s first Scudetto in four decades, was at the centre of a tug-of-war between several top clubs.

However, despite last-minute bids from Saudi giants Al-Hilal and English side Chelsea, Osimhen remains with the Partenopei, a situation that has left many fans and pundits puzzled.

New Napoli manager Antonio Conte, who has a history with Lukaku from their successful stint at Inter Milan, appears to have no place for Osimhen in his plans.

Conte’s preference for the Belgian striker is seen as a key reason behind the decision to strip Osimhen of his number 9 shirt.

Napoli had reportedly reached an agreement with Saudi club Al Ahli for a fee of around £67 million, but negotiations hit a snag when the Italian club demanded a higher fee.

This prompted Al Ahli to shift their focus to Brentford’s Ivan Toney, ultimately securing the English forward for a £40 million move.

Toney, who had already undergone a medical in London on Deadline Day, became the more straightforward option for the Saudi side.

The failed transfer saga has left Osimhen in a precarious position, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined until January when the transfer window reopens.

This situation is in contrast to his recent successes, including being named African Footballer of the Year and finishing 8th in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

After a successful 2023 season, tensions between the striker and Napoli had already been simmering, especially after the club’s official TikTok account released a controversial video that many interpreted as disrespectful.

Despite the public fallout, the former Wolfsburg striker extended his contract with Napoli until 2026.

Three suspects involved in Automated Teller Machine, ATM, swap in Kaduna state, have been arrested and detained by operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command.

The Command’s Spokesperson, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the development in a statement in Kaduna on Friday, adding that the police also recovered 54 ATM cards with a Point of Sale machine, POS.

“On August 27, at about 23:00 hours, following a credible intelligence, police operatives nab three suspects involved in ATM Card Swap Fraud, through a well-coordinated operation,” he said.

Hassan said the suspects included, Umar Ya’u of Zoo Road Kano, Abdullahi Bukar of Tudun Wada Kaduna, and Hussaini Sulaiman of Zoo Road, Kano.

According to him, the suspects were known for loitering around ATM machines, where they pretended to assist individuals who appeared unfamiliar with operating the machines.

“In doing so, they would deceitfully swap the victims’ ATM cards, allowing them to carry out unauthorised withdrawals.

“54 ATM cards of different banks and a POS machine were recovered from the suspects, which they confessed to getting from defrauding multiple victims across Kano, Kaduna, and Zaria,” he said.

Hassan further said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Audu Dabigi assured the public of the command’s continues commitment towards safeguarding the community.

He also urged the general public to be mindful of unsolicited assistance and to immediately report any suspicious behavior at ATM points to the police for prompt action.

Nigerian actress, Lizzy Anjorin, has spoken on allegations of an affair with Toyin Abraham’s husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi.

Controversial blogger, Esther Aboderin, popularly known as Esabod, recently accused Lizzy of engaging in an intimate relationship with Ajeyemi.

Reacting to the allegation in a viral video on Instagram, Lizzy dismissed the rumours, labeling it “evil”.

She further urged the public to disregard the claims.

“Concerning the rumour that is being spread that Toyin and Kolawole’s marriage is facing challenges, I am not interested. Whatever happens is their problem. It does not affect my life. Whoever wants to do evil should continue. Disregard all the information,” she said.

DAILY POST recalls that Lizzy and Toyin had in 2019, involved in a highly publicised feud after Lizzy was allegedly questioned by Saudi Arabia’s security over suspicion of drug trafficking during her Hajj pilgrimage.

Following the incident, Lizzy accused Toyin of leaking the story to the media.

However, Toyin Abraham denied any involvement. The dispute between the actresses led to several controversies at the time.

The Simom Ekpa-led Biafra Government in Exile has written to the Canadian Government in defense of Amaka Sunnberger amid a call for her prosecution over the threat to harm Yoruba and Bini people of Edo State.

Recall that Sunnberger sparked outrage after a now-viral video she posted on her Tiktok threatening harm against the Yoruba and Edo people.

In response to Sunnberger’s comments, the Nigerian government through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, chaired by Abike Dabiri-Erewa on Thursday petitioned the Mayor of Brampton to persecute Sunnberger over the threat.

Reacting to the development, Ekpa, known as the Prime Minister of BRGIE had vowed to defend Sunnberger.

To make real his vow, Dr Joy Robi, who is known as the Director General of Biafra Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has now addressed a letter to the Mayor of Brampton, Canada.

In a three-page letter to the Canadian Government posted on Ekpa’s official X handle on Friday, he expressed concern over what he called the inaccuracies and potential misunderstandings claimed by NiDCOM over Sunnberger.

The letter claimed several violent remarks by individuals within Nigeria against Biafrans which did elicit calls for prosecution by the government.

“We provide below a counter-argument with evidence of how the Nigerian government that NiDCOM is representing has video violence on killings of indigenous people in Nigeria, which resulted in many people fleeing out of Nigeria to preserve their lives.

“Information reaching the Biafra Government reveals that Mrs. Amaka Patience Sonnberge was traumatized by the attempted kidnap of her child in Canada by two individuals.

“Of note, Biafrans living in Nigeria and abroad are suffering intensely under the incessant life threat against the Igbo race. This mental abuse has been ignored due to fear of being killed.

“NiDCOM’s Chair is from a privileged Nigerian tribe with the positive attention her tribe is enjoying but ignored the intense mental suffering being mated on the Biafra people from the great Igbo race.

“Notably, Mrs. Amaka Patience Sonnberge due to the mental suffering certain tribes in Nigeria has mated on her family in Biafra land and may have angrily misspoken due to her pain, but that is not enough for NiDCOM to be advocating for Mrs Amaka Patience Sonnberge to lose her occupation.

“In conclusion, I firmly believe that the claims made against Mrs Amaka Patience Sonnberge are unfounded and do not reflect the true character and contributions when you examine the painful and mental suffering Biafrans in Nigeria are going through daily.

“I respectfully request that you ignore the NiDCOM claims in light of the evidence provided and allow Mrs. Amaka Patience Sonnberge to continue to contribute positively to your community in Canada.

“The Biafra government will defend Mrs Amaka Patience Sonnberge against any action taken by the NiDCOM”, the letter partly reads.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has promoted 684 senior police officers.

Ikechukwu Ani Head, Press and Public Relations, in a statement, said the decision to approve the promotion of senior officers took place during the first preliminary meeting with the new chairman of PSC in Abuja.

According to him, the meeting presided over by the Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), had in attendance, DIG Taiwo Lakanu, (rtd), Honourable Commissioner and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary to the Commission.

It said eight Commissioners of Police were elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, while 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police were promoted to the next rank of full Commissioners of Police.

“52 Chief Superintendents of Police were also promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police, 525 Superintendents of Police promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police and 84 Deputy Superintendents promoted to Superintendents of Police. ASP Patrick Ebhodahe was also promoted to the next rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police,” it said.

It said the eight Commissioners of Police and 15 Deputy Commissioners were subjected to some form of assessment/examination,a condition now precedent for their promotion to the new ranks.

The PSC Chairman said the Commission must also ensure that promotions in the Police will be merit based and predictable, just as he assured that the Commission will not for any reason delay the promotion of deserving officers but insisted that it must be earned.

The eight Commissioners of Police promoted to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police are CP Benneth Igwe; Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Command; Suleiman Mohammed Abdul, acting Assistant Inspector General of Police, PAB, Force Headquarters Abuja; CP Augustina Nwuka Ogbodo, CP Ebonyi State Command; CP Stephen Olanrewaju, CP Admin, Works, Force Headquarters Abuja; CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, CP Abia State Command; CP Fayoade Adegoke Mustapha, CP Lagos State Command; CP Adegboyega Funsho Adegboye, CP Admin, FID, Abuja and CP Mohammed Bala Labbo, CP Communication DICT Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police elevated to substantive Commissioners of Police are; DCP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, DCP State CID Taraba State Command; DCP Betty Enekpen Otimenyin, DCP DFA, Zone 5 Benin; DCP James Iroegbunam Nwokolo, DC DFA, Edo State Command; DCP Felix Nka Oben, DC Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, Annex Lagos; DCP Olusegun Eyitayo Omosayin DC Armament, Directorate of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja; DCP Ugobueze Ogbodo, Deputy Commandant, Police Detective College Enugu; DCP Ohagwu Felix Ndukwe, DC Department of Operations, Zone 11 Osogbo and DCP Taylor Lennox Olarewaju, DC, CCR, Lagos State.

Others are: DCP Sa’adatu Ismaila, DC Anti Human Trafficking Annex Lagos; DCP Olabode Adeleye Akinbamilowo, Deputy Force Secretary (DFS11), DCP Regina Cosmas Udoette, DC Department of Finance and Admin, Akwa Ibom State Command; DCP Francis Omatimeyin Gbiwen, DC, State CID Edo State Command; DCP Afolabi Wilfred Olatokunbo, DC Department of Finance and Admin, Delta State Command; DCP Ohiozoba Oyakhire Ehiede Acting CP Legal, FCID Force Headquarters Abuja and DCP Anthonia Adaku Uche-Anya, DC, Department of Finance and Admin FID.

The Commission has conveyed its approval to the Inspector General of Police for Implementation and further necessary action.

The Naira lost N30 and N28.48 at the parallel and official foreign exchange market in the last week amid the Central Bank of Nigeria Retail Dutch Auction System.

This comes as the Naira depreciated to N1645 against the dollar on Friday compared to the N1615 exchange rate recorded last week on Friday, 23 August 2024.

Similarly, FMDQ data which records official foreign market trading showed that the dropped to N1598.56 per dollar this Friday compared to N1570.14 exchanged last week.

The development means that the weakened both foreign exchange markets despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s interventions.

Although the foreign exchange transaction turnover increased to $172.80 million on Friday from $155.52 million recorded on Thursday, the Naira fell to strengthen against the dollar in the last seven days.

The development comes weeks after the Retail Dutch Auction System was reintroduced by CBN amid a dollar demand spike.

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, also known as Shiites, has condemned the alleged forceful removal of Hijab by police officers in Abuja, describing it as a grave religious abuse and blasphemy.

According to a statement by Maryam Sani, on behalf of the Sisters Forum of the Islamic movement, the incident involved Muslim women in detention who were allegedly forced to remove their Hijab, a religious headscarf.

The statement denounced the act as a violation of religious freedom and cultural sensitivity.

“We will publicise this abuse to the public (within and outside the country) and also challenge it in the court of law,” the group threatened.

This comes after a one-minute, twenty-one-second video taken within the premises of the FCT Police Command, which was shared in a WhatsApp group of the police community in the FCT went viral on social media showing how the police forcefully removed the Hijab of Muslim sisters, while in police detention.

Sani claimed the Muslim Sisters were arrested during the 2024 Abuja Arba’een Symbolic Trek.

The statement read:

“Our attention has also been drawn to pictures of people arrested during the 2024 Abuja Abra’een Symbolic Trek paraded by the police on 28 August 2024 to newsmen at SARS Abbatoir. The pictures taken by the newsmen also showed our Muslim sisters without Hijab.

“Hijab is a commandment of Allah, the creator of earth and heaven. Allah (T) says in the Qur’an, ‘O Prophet! Say to your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that they should let down upon themselves their jalabib.’ (Qur’an: Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 59).

“Hijab is our religion, culture, and right, and the abuse of Hijab is more painful to us than the shelling of live ammunition on us. We will not take this abuse lightly. Certainly, an abuse to Hijab is not just an abuse to the people arrested but to the Muslims and the religion of Islam.

“Verily, the leadership of the police is fully aware of the sanctity of Hijab to Muslims; they just decided to deliberately abuse our religion. First, we condemn the forceful removal of Muslim sisters’ Hijab and consider it an abuse to Muslims and blasphemy to Islam.”

The organisation added that if it is assumed that the perpetrators are not Muslims, it will not believe that during their education, from home training and childhood upbringing at family level through University education and in-service training, they have never learnt how to respect people’s religion and culture.

Meanwhile, the Islamic movement in another round of protest on Friday urged the police authorities to respect people’s religion and culture.

The nationwide protest took place in various cities across the country such as Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Zaria, Yobe, Gombe,Bauchi, Jos, Katsina, Kebbi and Niger among others.

In Abuja, the protest kicked off at Banex Juma’at Mosque immediately after the Friday prayers and ended at the popular Banex junction.

In Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina, many people joined the protest saying Hijab does not just belong to the Shiites Women.