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The Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has resubmitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
PUNCH Online reports that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs resubmitted the petition during Thursday plenary, after her earlier petition was rejected by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions.
Speaking during the presentation, the Kogi lawmaker said the newly submitted petition was filed by her constituents, led by one Zubairu Yakubu.
Following the presentation, Senate President Akpabio inquired whether there were any legal impediments to accepting the petition and she responded that there were none.
So This Happened (Ep286) Review The Growing Fear Of Deportation Faced By Nigerians In The US, Others
Thereafter, the Senate President instructed her to formally lay the petition before the Senate and was subsequently referred to the Ethics committee led by Senator Neda Imasuen, with a directive to report back to the plenary within four weeks after legislative review.
Recall that Akpoti-Uduaghan had presented a petition of sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio during Wednesday plenary, which sparked controversy.
The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North), had raised a point of order, citing Senate Standing Order 40.
He argued that the matter could not be entertained or referred to the Ethics Committee, as it was sub judice due to an ongoing court case involving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Ekaette Akpabio, the wife of the Senate President.
Monguno also contended that the petition could not be considered since Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had personally signed it.
As a result, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed the petition, declaring it “dead on arrival.”
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has intercepted a dismissed immigration officer who was allegedly attempting to sell sophisticated firearms to bandits operating in the Abuja-Kaduna forest.
The dismissed officer, whose name was not disclosed, was intercepted and arrested following an intelligence-led operation by the police.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the Officer in Charge of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Mustafa Mohammed, said the operation prevented the arms from reaching criminal elements whom he said could have made them deadly.
He said, “Acting on intelligence, the command intercepted these guns from a dismissed immigration officer attempting to sell them to bandits terrorising the Abuja-Kaduna forest. The intelligence was received in time, and the arms were intercepted while he was trying to make the delivery,” Mohammed stated.
Mohammed said among the recovered weapons was a Scorpion CZ EVO3, an advanced, fully automatic firearm with an inbuilt silencer.
“This is the latest model, the 2022 version of the Scorpion series.
It can be used in single, automatic, or burst mode. It is a highly sophisticated weapon, and its magazine can hold between 20 and 30 rounds, depending on the configuration. We also recovered 52 rounds of ammunition which could have posed a severe threat had they fallen into the hands of criminals.“
Speaking earlier, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, said 300 suspects were arrested between January and February 28, 2025.
He said, “In its sustained effort to rid the Federal Capital Territory of crime and criminal elements, the FCT Police Command has intensified its operations, carrying out a series of high-impact raids from January 1 to February 28, 2025. These decisive actions, driven by intelligence and executed with tactical precision, have led to the arrest of 300 suspects and the recovery of a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and illicit substances. The total number of armed robbers arrested: 59. The total number of kidnappers and informants arrested: 10. The total number of armed robbers neutralised: nine.
The total number of kidnappers neutralised: seven. The total number of cultists arrested: 16.”
He also said targeted raid and clearance operations were conducted in identified criminal hideouts.
Disu said, “Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the safety of residents, the command deployed specialised tactical teams to raid identified criminal hideouts and black spots across the FCT. These operations covered high-risk areas, including Dei-Dei, Karu, Gwarinpa, Jikwoyi, Karimo, and Maitama.
“Additionally, abandoned buildings across the city, frequently used as hideouts and bases for planning illicit activities, have been identified and will be subject to continuous monitoring and raids.”
The Senate Committee on Ethic has recommended that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan be suspended for six months amid her sexual harassment allegation against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The committee also recommended that the Senator representing Kogi Central must apologise to the Senate for ‘disrespecting the Senate.”
During the period of the suspension, the committee stated that her salary and security details should be withdrawn.
Details later…
[Punch]
Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, has urged Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to remain focused and committed to be able to keep delivering legislative interventions to Nigerians.
The CSOs under the auspices of Stay Alert Human Right Awareness Initiative, gave the advice in a statement on Thursday in Abuja by its Executive Director, Lary Onah.
Onah also passed a vote of confidence on Akpabio, describing his leadership as president of the 10th senate as impactful and most gender tolerant.
He said that despite unfounded allegations of sexual harassment, which Akpabio had denied ever attempting, Nigerians and lawmakers believed in his ability to navigate the complexities of governance.
He described the allegation as a distraction designed to undermine democracy and the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“We praise the senate president for his professionalism in the manner he conducted himself in the plenary during the altercation by Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over seating arrangement.
“Natasha is wrong to go against the rules of the senate over seating arrangement.
“She should apologise for her wrong conduct and withdraw her petition of sexual harassment against the most performing senate president of Nigeria.
“The accusation is only meant to distract the senate from applying sanctions on her and coerce the leadership to always do her bidding,” he said.
He urged Akpabio not to be distracted by the ”cheap blackmail” but to focus more on discharging his duties for the good of Nigerians and ultimately for the prosperity of the nation.
He said the CSOs were further mobilising for a solidarity march in support of the Senate President and the leadership of the country.
(NAN)
Nigerian singer Oluwatosin Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, has lost his mother, Ifeoma Edith Ajibade.
The artist shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram today, March 6, alongside a touching tribute and a photo of them together.
He wrote, “Thank you, Mummy For your strength, your sacrifices, your unwavering faith. For raising us with love, discipline, and devotion to God. For teaching me confidence, entrepreneurship, forgiveness, and family.
“You were my greatest protector, my toughest critic, and truest Fan.”
“You were not perfect, but you were perfect to me. Your legacy lives on. Rest well lfeoma Edith Ajibade.”
Nigerian socialite Cubana Chief Priest has replied to actress Tonto Dikeh for seemingly commenting on his ongoing paternity dispute with Hellen Mutimu, a Kenyan lady.
The drama began when Mutimu accused Cubana of fathering her child after a brief encounter in Lagos. She has been calling him out since January, demanding a paternity test.
Dikeh appeared to have waded into the controversy. In a now-deleted post, the actress questioned “why men are now avoiding paternity tests”.
“I was under the impression that it was women who were supposed to be avoiding DNA tests, so why are men the ones running now? The irony is unreal,” she wrote.
Cubana responded with an Instastory post, accusing Dikeh of sponsoring Mutimu’s claims against him.
The socialite also alleged that Dikeh is motivated by spite, claiming that she is angry because he declined her request for a favor in the past.
“Remember this accusation came first from gistlover and she donated 1 million to her and asked Nigerians to donate too,” he wrote.
“Make it make sense with the gistlover allegations. I have always known it was sponsored, the same way they tried to rope me in that my show was Mohbad’s last show, and I’m a suspect.
“My only crime was you asking me for favors and I declined. You go chase me enter gutter. My marriage is built on a solid rock it can never be like yours blackmailer T, Ceo Gistlover Nigeria limited.”
The film star however fired back at the socialite for saying her earlier post was aimed at him. She added that she has no interest in his personal life.
“I have no interest in your family dynamics,whether they stand on solid ground or not. But let’s not forget that on that same “solid rock,” you fathered a child you’re now running from in Kenya,” the post reads in part.
[TheCable]
Supreme Court Accuse Fubara Of Pulling Down Rivers Assembly After Sensing Impeachment, List Other Sins
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The Supreme Court has ruled that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had already undermined the State House of Assembly before Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The apex court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, held that the concurrent findings of both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal proved that Governor Fubara engaged in illegal and unconstitutional activities to subvert the State Assembly, violate the Nigerian Constitution, and prevent an anticipated impeachment by opposition lawmakers.
The ruling was part of the Supreme Court’s judgment on Cross-Appeal No SC/CV/1175A/2024, filed by Governor Fubara to challenge the earlier rulings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
The cross-appeal was linked to the main appeal brought before the Supreme Court by the Rivers State House of Assembly and Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
The appeal lists the Government of Rivers State; Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission; Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli (Rtd) (Chairman, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission); Central Bank of Nigeria; Zenith Bank Plc.; Access Bank Plc.; Accountant General of the Federation; the Government of Rivers State (Sir Siminalayi Fubara); the Accountant General of Rivers State; and Hon. Justice S. C. Amadi (Chief Judge of Rivers State) as the 1st to 10th respondents.
Fubara requested the Supreme Court to determine whether Sections 102 and 109(g) of the 1999 Constitution and the doctrine of necessity validate the proceedings of the Rivers State House of Assembly, which was constituted by less than one-third of its members, and the actions of the State government based on such proceedings.
Justice Agim stated, “The concurrent findings of facts in the Court of Appeal Judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/133/20249 (exhibit RSHA 5) indicate that some months after the 8th respondent was elected and sworn in as Governor of Rivers State in 2023, he began to fear that, instigated by his political opponents, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were planning or initiating proceedings to impeach and remove him from office as Governor of the State.
“That to pre-empt his said impeachment, 8th respondent took several steps such as attempting to get the National Assembly to take over the exercise of the legislative powers of Rivers State from the Rivers State House of Assembly, preventing the Rivers State House of Assembly from sitting with its complete members or constitutionally prescribed quorum of one-third of the 32 members and arranged for initially 4 members and subsequently 3 members to be sitting as Rivers State House of Assembly outside the Legislative building of the Rivers State House of Assembly, withholding Rivers State House of Assembly funds, removing the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, using caterpillars, bulldozers and other earth moving vehicles and equipment to pull down, dismantle and destroy the legislative building of the Rivers State House of Assembly…”
The apex court also knocked Fubara for preventing the lawmakers and other staff of the Rivers State House of Assembly “from having access to the House of Assembly Complex to do official work and engaging in all these actions in disobedience of interim restraining orders of Courts that were obtained by the said 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in suits to restrain these actions.”
It said, “These series of actions by the 8th respondent caused the Rivers State House of Assembly to commence Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 against the National Assembly, the 8th respondent, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police and others.
“The concurrent finding of fact by the Court of Appeal in its Judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024 is that the 8th respondent admitted engaging in all these activities.
“What is clear from the above concurrent findings is that the 8th respondent started the prevention of the sittings of the Rivers State House of Assembly constituted by the number of members as prescribed by S.96 of the 1999 Constitution long before the issue of the remaining 27 members defecting to another political party arose.”
According to the judge, the said activities of Governor Fubara were adjudged by the concurrent holdings of the Court of Appeal in its judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024 as illegal and unconstitutional long before the allegation of defection started.
The court said, “Against the background of these concurrent findings and holdings in the Court of Appeal Judgment in Appeal No.CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024, it is reasonable to conclude that the cross appellant’s reliance on Ss.102 and 109 of the Constitution and the doctrine of necessity is to continue his brazen subversion of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the 1999 Constitution and legitimate government in Rivers State.
“Having by his own admission engaged in a series of illegal activities just to prevent the other 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from participating in the proceedings of the House to carry out their legitimate legislative duties which they were elected to do, his resort to Ss.102 and 109 of the 1999 Constitution and the doctrine of necessity on the basis of his allegation that they have defected is a red herring to perpetuate his subversion of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the 1999 Constitution and democratic government in Rivers State.
“The 8th respondent had collapsed the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Therefore, no question about any member having lost his seat in that House due to defection can validly arise.
“There must be a House of Assembly for any constitutional processes such as declaration of a seat vacant for defection therein to take place.
“Only the House can declare a seat vacant for defection and not the Governor of a State. Not even the Courts can do so.”
The apex court ruled that the assertion that the 27 Assembly members are no longer part of the House due to alleged defection is a continuation of Governor Fubara’s efforts to prevent their participation in House proceedings.
The judge said, “It is not shown or suggested that their names are now in the register of members of another political party or that they have obtained membership card of that other party.
“Membership register and membership card constitute the only proof of membership of a political party.
“What is clear is that the 2nd cross respondent and the other 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are still valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th respondent in cahoots with the 4 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
“A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the Government of a State under the 1999 Constitution,” the court said.
“In this case, the Head of the Executive arm of the Government has chosen to collapse the Legislature to enable him govern without the Legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”
The court said Fubara’s “fear of impeachment by the House Assembly is no justification for his attacks on the House of Assembly, the Constitution, the Government of Rivers State and rule of law.
“What the 8th respondent has done is to destroy the government because of his fear of being impeached.”
[NaijaNews]
March 8 is the International Women’s Day. It is not only an occasion to congratulate ladies and give sincere compliments but also an opportunity to remind them of more serious things – for example, the fight for women’s rights, as well as their achievements, including in sports.
It is generally accepted that everything depends only on the abilities of sportsmen and sportswomen. However, female athletes still face many specific challenges – from stereotypes and discrimination to a lack of funding and a low level of infrastructure compared to men’s competitions.
In honor of the holiday, we would like to remember outstanding Nigerian sportswomen who have become symbols of perseverance and fortitude.
Nigerian women who inspire:
- Tobi Amusan is a world champion and world record holder in the 100-meter hurdles. She also managed to get a Master of Arts and proved that it is possible to combine studies with a successful sports career.
- Asisat Oshoala is a six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year who has won every trophy possible with Barcelona. The Nigerian is one of the best female football players and the first African nominee for the Ballon d’Or among women.
- Ese Brume is a four-time African long jump champion and the first African to win two medals at the World Championships. She also achieved the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
- Blessing Oborududu’s parents told her that wrestling was not a woman’s sport. Fortunately, Blessing managed to change their minds. She won the African Championship 13 times, and at the Tokyo Olympics, she became the first Nigerian medalist in this sport!
- Funke Oshonaike – in 2021, she became the first woman in history to compete in seven Olympics. In 2016, the table tennis legend was Nigeria’s flag bearer at the Rio Games.
Supporting women’s sports: 1xBet’s contribution
The issue of gender equality in sports remains relevant, and companies like 1xBet help to change the situation. Here are some examples of how this is happening.
- The brand ambassador in Nigeria is Suo, the first PINJIN female commentator in the country’s history, who is also the chief of the Urubo people. Being responsible for over a million people is a difficult and necessary thing, but what’s more important is that Suo inspires all Nigerian women to take up sports.
- Miracle Chipito from Zambia became the first medalist in the IMMAF World Championship in the history of her country. According to Chipito, 1xBet’s help with tools and logistics allowed her to focus on the competition without being distracted by less important things.
- With the support of the reliable bookmaker, the Waziri Cup tournament was held in Kenya, featuring women’s teams. 1xBet has never considered football a purely male sport and actively invests in developing women’s national competitions, providing squads with jerseys and sports equipment.
Female athletes in Africa have proven that sport has no gender boundaries. Their stories inspire thousands of girls to take up sports, overcome obstacles, and reach the top.
Women in sports are not only about talent and achievements but also about strength of spirit and willingness to go against stereotypes and the opinions of others. The company 1xBet admires them and is proud of the opportunity to help them change the sports world, making it more beautiful and brighter.
[Leradership]
Senator representing Ekiti South and Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Publicity Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, has said that what Natasha did in the senate is content creation.
Adaramodu stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
He said the senate committee on ethics has started reviewing Natsaha’s petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Daily trust had reported that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had petitioned the senate on alleged sexual harassment and abuse of office against Akpabio.
However, during the interview, Adaramodu described Natasha’s action as theatrical.
He said the situation was, especially for the first arm of government, the legislature.
He said, “I saw my colleague sister entering with a kiss. It made me look back when we were acting in such a kind of entertainment stage drama, while in primary school. This is where we are very unthinkable and unspeakable.
“They came very close to the plenary for a kiss? For whatever reason like our colleague accused. When we say anything is wrong or not wrong, we talk about legality. It is not illegal, but it is socially and morally wrong. That does not mean all legal things are acceptable for adults to act on. I said initially that this is an episode of content creation. That is part of the skit created by our colleague and everybody is talking about it.”
[DailyTrust]
US President Donald Trump has warned Hamas, demanding the immediate release of all hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, threatening dire consequences if they are not freed.
Trump threatened that if Hamas does not obey his order he would be providing Israel with everything necessary to “finish the job,” warning that “not a single Hamas member will be safe”.
Trump’s order follows shortly after the White House confirmed it was engaging in direct negotiations with Hamas regarding the hostages.
Until now, Washington has steered clear of direct interaction with the group, adhering to a long-standing U.S. policy that prohibits contact with organisations designated as terrorist groups.
Trump’s warning was contained in a statement he signed on Wednesday, March 05.
The statement reads: “Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted!
“I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.
“I have just met with your former Hostages whose lives you have destroyed. This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance.
“Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are dead! Make a smart decision. Release the hostages now or there will be hell to pay later!.”
Last December, former President Trump issued a stern warning, vowing that “all hell would break loose” if hostages were not released by the time he assumed office.
In his latest remarks, he reiterated his position on “rebuilding” Gaza, a statement that many interpreted as a veiled threat directed at the residents of the war-torn enclave.
Currently, Israel reports that 59 hostages remain in Gaza, with 24 believed to still be alive. Among those held are U.S. citizens.
The ceasefire brokered in January, which facilitated a swap of hostages between the two sides, now hangs in the balance. Hamas has stated that it will only release the remaining captives if Israel agrees to end its military operations.
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Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday halted the hearing of the charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against Ezekiel Onyedikachi also known as Eezee Tee over what he described as an ‘Administrative’ procedure.
The EFCC had filed a four-count charge against Onyedikachi over alleged fraudulent conversion.
During the hearing on Thursday, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN along with Dr Monday Ubani, SAN, announced appearance for Onyedikachi while Bilikisu Buhari announced appearance for the EFCC.
The defendant, Onyedikachi who had been absent at the last court hearing was however present in court.
After the parties announced their appearances, Justice Owoeye informed them of an ongoing administrative procedure in respect of the matter and that he would not be able to make any pronouncement in the case.
“There is an administrative procedure going on in this case, and until it is completed, I cannot make any pronouncement on it,” he said.
The judge also declined to grant the request by Mr Ojukwu that parties should maintain the status quo pending the completion of the administrative procedure.
He subsequently adjourned the matter till May 14.
[Vanguard]
In 1966, a young Nigerian woman did what no African woman had done before. She published a novel with an international press company. The book, Efuru, was as much a milestone as it was a disruption.
At a time when African literature was dominated by male voices — Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o — Flora Nwapa insisted on something different. She put an African woman at the centre of the story.
Make no mistake. Nwapa didn’t just write literature. She carved out a space for African women in politics, publishing, storytelling, and history. More than 50 years later, her name is still mentioned with reverence, carrying the same weight as her male contemporaries.
A WOMAN OF MANY FIRSTS
Born Flora Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa on January 13, 1931, in Oguta, present-day Imo state, she was the eldest of six children. Her father, Christopher Nwapa, was an agent for the United Africa Company (UAC), and her mother, Martha Nwapa, was a teacher. Education was non-negotiable in their home, and Flora excelled.
She attended Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Girls’ School before enrolling at the University of Ibadan, where she studied English, history, and geography. After graduating in 1957, she earned a diploma in education from the University of Edinburgh. She worked as a women’s education officer in Calabar, Cross River state, taught at Queen’s School, Enugu, and later became an assistant registrar at the University of Lagos.
During this time, Efuru took shape. The manuscript landed in the hands of Chinua Achebe, then an editor at Heinemann’s African Writers Series. He saw its promise and recommended its publication. That decision made history. Efuru became the first internationally published novel by a black African woman.
WRITING WOMEN BACK INTO THE STORY
Before Nwapa, female characters in African fiction were background figures; wives, daughters, mothers, or seductionists were rarely the protagonists of their own narratives. Efuru changed that.
The novel’s titular character, Efuru, is an independent Igbo woman who defies societal expectations. She leaves an unhappy marriage, takes charge of her own life, and remains strong despite personal losses. Most strikingly, the novel doesn’t force her into the conventional “happy ending” of marriage and children. Instead, she follows a spiritual path, becoming a worshipper of the goddess Uhamiri.
This was radical for the time. Nwapa wasn’t writing about women as victims; she was writing about women who made choices — flawed, unconventional, but theirs to make.
As Marie Umeh, a scholar and expert on African literature, highlighted in “The Poetics of Economic Independence for Female Empowerment”, Nwapa achieved something remarkable with Efuru. She laid the foundation for a new literary movement that defied conventional portrayals of Nigerian women, challenging their reduction to mere roles or rebellious figures.
Nwapa continued to challenge norms with Idu (1970), Never Again (1975), This is Lagos and Other Stories (1971), and Emeka, Driver’s Guard (1972), among others.
REBUILDING AFTER WAR
By the late 1960s, Nigeria was in turmoil. Following the Biafran War, Nwapa fled Lagos. In 1970, after the war, she was appointed minister of health and social welfare in Nigeria’s former east central state — the first person to hold the post.
Her role was critical. She worked to reunite children displaced by the war with their families and oversaw the return of those evacuated to other countries. In 1971, she became minister for land, survey, urban development, and establishment, leading efforts to rebuild war-torn communities.
For her service, she was awarded the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger in 1982.
BEYOND WRITING: THE BUSINESS OF REPRESENTATION
Nwapa decided that it wasn’t enough to just tell stories; she changed how they were published. In 1974, she launched Tana Press, becoming the first African woman to own a publishing house.
Through Tana Press, she published her later works, including One is Enough (1981) and Women Are Different (1986). More importantly, she gave other African women a platform, ensuring their voices weren’t silenced.
Despite the government’s talk of supporting indigenous publishing, she received little financial backing, and so her publishing house fell apart. But for Nwapa, it was more about giving Africans control over their narratives than commercial success.
A PROUD LEGACY
While her male contemporaries won Nobel Prizes and international accolades, Nwapa’s work was sometimes dismissed as “domestic” or “feminine”. But she wasn’t writing for the Western literary elite. She was writing for Africa and Africans.
She once said, “The European conquest of Africa radically altered this state of affairs with devastating consequences for women and, by extension, the society as a whole.”
She remained a force beyond literature, advocating for women’s economic and educational empowerment, especially in rural areas.
Nwapa passed away in 1993, but her legacy is undeniable. Without her, there is no Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, no Buchi Emecheta, no new wave of African women writers reclaiming their narratives.
This Women’s History Month, her story deserves to be told loud, proud, and unforgettable.
Two persons have been confirmed dead and six seriously injured after a three-storey building collapsed in the Odoriwu estate at the Elf Bus stop area of Lagos.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said it activated the state’s emergency response plans and response team from the Lekki and Cappa Bases after receiving distress calls concerning the incident at about 2:25 pm on Wednesday.
Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the permanent secretary of LASEMA, stated in an update that the bodies of two male casualties were removed from the debris of the collapsed building.
He added that injured victims received initial medical care from the LRU pre-hospital care unit before being taken to the Marian General Hospital for further treatment.
Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA deployed light and heavy-duty equipment to the incident scene for the search and rescue operation.
He noted that the immediate cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, adding that further investigations will be conducted.
According to him, other operatives of agencies at the scene of the incident for the search and rescue operation include the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the LRU Pre-Hospital Care Unit, and ITEC personnel
A federal high court in Kaduna has ordered an interim forfeiture of N1.37 billion allegedly diverted from the Kaduna state government into a private account.
The money, originally allocated for Kaduna state’s abandoned light rail project, was allegedly diverted during the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023.
In an ex parte motion filed on February 14, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) claimed the el-Rufai administration never executed the project and depriving the people of the benefits of rail transport system.
The commission accused some officials of diverting the money through Indo Kaduna MRTS JV Nig. Ltd, a joint venture entity set up in 2016 by the state government and Indian business people.
Hauwa Buhari, the presiding judge, granted the application moved by E.O. Akponimisingha, the ICPC lawyer, on February 28.
The judge ordered the interim forfeiture of the money and also directed the ICPC to publish a notice in any two national newspapers, requesting any person with interest in the property to present their claim and show cause in court why the asset should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
The matter was adjourned to April 8, 2025, for interested persons who may want to claim the money to make their case before the court.
BACKGROUND
The Kaduna state government, under el-Rufai, entered into a joint venture agreement with Indo Kaduna MRTS JV Nig. Ltd. in October 2016 for the construction of a light rail transport system.
However, the ICPC revealed that payments for the project began before the company was officially registered.
Despite its lack of formal incorporation by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) until May 10, 2017, el-Rufai’s administration reportedly approved payments to the entity as early as December 2016.
Between December 2016 and January 2017, the then-governor was said to have authorised a total payment of N11.1 billion to the company’s account domiciled with Sterling Bank.
Out of this amount, N1.373 billion was allegedly diverted into a private account, which was later traced by the ICPC.