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The Kogi State Executive Council has reaffirmed its commitment to grassroots development, economic sustainability, and infrastructural growth following its latest meeting held at the EXCO Hall, Government House, Lokoja.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo charged government officials to remain close to the grassroots and ensure constant engagement with the people, noting that such connection is key to responsive governance.
“We are in government to serve the people, and that means staying connected to their needs and aspirations,” the Governor was quoted as saying during the meeting.
As part of efforts to boost the local economy, the Governor also directed all government officials to wear Made-in-Kogi fabrics as a show of support for indigenous industries. He encouraged Kogites to take pride in local products and lead a cultural and economic renaissance from within.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the administration is committed to making governance more visible and impactful.
“Governor Ododo is driving a government that listens, learns, and leads from the grassroots. His directive on Made-in-Kogi fabrics is a strategic move to grow our economy and export our identity,” Fanwo said.
On infrastructure, Fanwo disclosed that perimeter fencing at the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara is 90% completed, while both male and female hostels have been completed and are already housing students. Similar projects at the Kogi State University, Kabba, are progressing satisfactorily.
To improve public safety, the Council also approved a bill to restrict the movement of heavy trucks during peak hours. Another bill was approved for the establishment of the Kogi State Agency for Climate Change as part of a forward-thinking response to global environmental challenges.
In a separate briefing, the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mukadam Asiwaju Asiru Idris, announced that the Ododo administration has fully liquidated N98.8 billion in debts inherited from previous administrations within just 15 months.
The breakdown includes:
• N8 billion in bonds from the Idris Wada administration.
• N50.8 billion salary bailout from the last administration.
• N10 billion ECA-backed infrastructure loan.
• N15 billion infrastructure loans from Zenith Bank and another N15 billion from UBA Plc.
“This is a landmark achievement. His Excellency Governor Ododo has demonstrated fiscal discipline and commitment to economic recovery. Within 15 months, we have cleared N98.8 billion in inherited debt,” Idris said.
He added that Fitch Ratings has upgraded Kogi State’s credit rating from ‘B-’ to ‘B’, with a stable outlook, citing prudent financial management. As of September 30, 2024, the state’s debt profile stands at N40.5 billion, placing it on a strong path to debt sustainability.
The Federal Government has declared Friday, June 6, and Monday, June 9, 2025, as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Adha celebration.
This was announced by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in a statement issued on behalf of the Federal Government on Monday.
The minister congratulated all Muslims in Nigeria and the Diaspora on the occasion, urging the Ummah to continue to embody the spirit of sacrifice, obedience, and faith as demonstrated by Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon Him).
Tunji-Ojo also called on Nigerians to use the Eid period to pray for the peace, unity, and prosperity of the country.
“The minister assured Nigerians, that the people-oriented reforms and initiatives carried out, in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, is to restore Nigeria on the path of progress.
“While wishing the Muslim Ummah a happy Eid-ul- Adha celebration, the minister urged all Nigerians to join hands with the present administration in its efforts to restore the glory of Nigeria as a great nation,” the statement added.
The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that he was instrumental in making the Peoples Democratic Party popular and establishing it as a major political force at both national and state levels.
Wike made the remarks during his monthly live media chat in Abuja on Monday.
Responding to criticisms from Chief Bode George, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, over the sealing of the party’s National Secretariat, Wike advised the elder statesman to “sit down in your house and read your newspapers” if he had no occupation.
He explained that neither he nor the party could pay the ground rent because the property was not registered in their names.
“I cannot pay because, first of all, it is not in my name. They cannot pay because the property is not in their name.
“If an elderly man has no job, he should sit at home and read his newspapers. Bode George said PDP made me by giving me a national profile, and I agree. But the party does not make you; you are the one who makes the party win elections.
“Ask Bode George who PDP has made popular in Lagos since 1999? You are speaking to me, someone who has laboured and campaigned for the party to become the major political force at both state and national levels.
“Meanwhile, in his state, the party has been struggling daily. Even when Jonathan was in power, we knew what we did for PDP to take over power, but it did not succeed,” he stated.
ason Njoku has announced the shutting down of iROKOtv.
Njoku is the founder of iROKOtv.
He shared insights on how he tried to save the company but business was not profitable in Nigeria.
Writing on his website, Njoku.org, Jason Njoku described the company’s $100 million investment in the local market as a costly mistake.
Jason Njokue wrote:
"Iroko’s first funding was in August 2011; our mandate was to build a large streaming business in Nigeria.
"Tiger Global believed that one of the largest growth areas would be online entertainment, and like most content, the winners would be local content in large domestic markets.
"They invested $200 million in Netflix back in 2010 and then invested in IVI in Russia, YY in China, Netmovies in Brazil, and us in Nigeria.
"With super-expensive data bundles and inelegant payment options (I remember waiting for Interswitch to enable us to integrate), our market took a while to mature. In most opportunities, you can be too early or too late; only in hindsight can you gauge when the best time to strike would be. iROKOtv was very early when we launched in 2011, but we were fortunate that there was a ready-made international market in the diaspora who were willing to pay and able to overcome any technical hurdles (payment/bandwidth/devices) to enable us to at least generate a sizable income.
"We actually waited until 2015 (four years post-launch), building the product, securing a sizable content library, and assembling a team to attempt to take on Nigeria and Africa. Between the revenues we generated and the venture capital we raised ($35 million) over the first ten years, we easily spent $100 million trying to win.
"But we weren’t winning; we weren’t really losing either. We were just there, in full survival mode, operating in the toughest conditions possible. Streaming, even domestically, is a scale game.
"Africa wasn’t immune to those costs. It’s incredibly expensive across marketing, content, delivery, and product platforms. Our largest, most serious competitors were Showmax, Netflix, Amazon, and Iflix. Collectively, they easily invested $1 billion or more from 2015 to 2023.
"During that period, we often had tense board meetings about why iROKOtv wasn’t succeeding; it was challenging to feel that all my hard work and dedication were constantly reduced to 'you’re not doing enough'.
"We have been, and remain, the most aggressive in trying to distribute content across Nigeria—deploying hundreds of manned kiosks, teams of outbound contact centre agents, creating agency networks, adjusting our product to prioritise Android downloads, and pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing.
"At one point, it dawned on me, and I finally shot back in a board meeting: if iROKOtv was losing, could they point to someone who was beating us? In the startup world, that’s usually the outcome of underperformance.
"You are simply being out-executed by a better-capitalised or higher-performing startup. In this case, there simply wasn’t anything anyone could point to to establish that.
"So my simple assertion was that the market was winning. In 2019, we went out to fundraise; for the first time, we used a bank, Stanbic IBTP, to support that.
"We were looking for $10-20 million to keep pushing into and across Africa with our outbound, agency, and kiosk models.
"I believed my tales of survival would inspire the (primarily) PE investors that we were going to be the eventual winners in a brutal, long-fought civil streaming war. Instead, they all largely concluded that perhaps there was no market there, that the unit economics were simply not viable at any reasonable scale.
"What they were all interested in was the ROK content, TV channels, and distribution business. It was straightforward (fewer than 30 employees), had clear revenue recognition (billion-dollar paid TV platforms – DStv, Multichoice, SKY, etc., with 3-5 year contracts in non-local currencies), and was amassing a sizable IP library funded by the same paid TV platforms. Once we separated out ROK, it was clear where the value lay in Iroko. It represented 80% of revenues and 25% of costs. EBITA margins of 35-40% were achieved without even realising it.
"The outcome of that fundraise was the $25 million partial exit (Iroko sold her shares; Mrs Njoku remains a significant shareholder in the studio) to Vivendi/Canal+.
"We closed in July 2019.
"Before the end of 2019, we had distributed $5 million as a special dividend and were primed to take on the world.
"Then COVID-19 happened. Streaming temporarily boomed in the West (our North American business tripled in subscriber growth), while Nigeria closed borders and grappled with peculiar economic principles (devaluations, FX windows, etc.).
"The local market in Nigeria simply collapsed. We saw it and stubbornly decided to keep investing and doubling down until we were all tapped out, having burnt through most of the post-exit capital.
"To save iROKOtv, we considered crowdfunding, an AIM LSE listing (you could raise $10-30 million easily back then) with relatively little revenue but a strong narrative.
"In the end, we raised $1.1 million in convertible notes, then recapped the company a year later and paid it back.
"In 2023, we finally accepted there was no market for paid premium services and exited Nigeria. We haven’t processed any Naira payments there in almost two years.
"As I humbly survey the wreckage of the last 15 years of streaming in Nigeria and Africa, it’s clear our (then $2k GDP per capita) was too small to support even a $5/mo product. It’s clear this wasn’t even a question of capital.
"Showmax alone continues to pour tens, if not hundreds, of millions to make it work. But the global giants tapped out last year; their costs (content and marketing) were clearly unsustainably high, and their product needed to be localised to make sense and actually work; it’s just not how platforms sustainably scale.
"So I wasn’t surprised when either Amazon or Netflix rolled back their considerable investments in Nigeria. $5/mo is a luxury I doubt even 250k can reliably afford in Nigeria.
"You can see the impact of what GOtv and DStv are suffering at the hands of the market. It’s okay that we tried and failed. It’s okay that we accept the limitations in the domestic market we find ourselves in. Did it need $1B+ to figure this out?
"Absolutely not. I believe, with my newfound knowledge, that iROKOtv could have reached the same conclusions with $5-10 million versus the $100 million+ we ended up investing.
"In hindsight, streaming wasn’t the winning model for Nollywood in Nigeria. Content, channels, and distribution were.
"With the economics that business had in 2018, we could have shut down iROKOtv and her $5 million/year in losses and either listed it or just had a fantastically profitable business.
"But I was a believer and walked away from millions of dollars in personal liquidity to put it all in to build streaming in Africa.
"My lessons were expensive, and that’s why I am so consistent in telling founders not to over-raise.
"I am not surprised by the story of Obi from Kobo360; I lobbied him pre-$30m raise not to raise too much capital or later on to seek a merger with his nearest competitor whilst they were engaged in a brutal price war.
"The unit economics and payment cycles were brutal, and capital wasn’t going to dramatically change the market dynamics, and it appeared that no one was really going to win that market. It’s only with deep, lived, and expensive experience that I can glance at unit economics coldly and get a feel for whether, with the usual macro turbulence, a startup has a better chance at long-term success.
"Nigeria is currently a massive drag on the entire operating business of Multichoice. Their most recent H1 reports indicate. Reminder that this is the largest pay platform in Africa, which is currently being acquired in a $2.8B deal."
Innovations in Primary Health Care – Scorecard of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund 2023/25
Admin
The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), established under Section 11 of the National Health Act (NHAct) of 2014, is a foundational pillar of the country’s healthcare system. The Fund was designed to deliver a sustainable, decentralized, and accountable trove of resources for citizens’ healthcare at the community level through a functional PHC system. Passage of the NHAct was expected to usher in new hope for the achievement of Universal Health Care and for expanded National Health Insurance coverage. Despite the efforts and investments of donors, government, and health advocacy civil society NGOs, the early years of the BHCPF have failed to deliver on expectations. Research by the dRPC identifies 12 core donor grants and loans from USAID, the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and the FCDO aimed at improving the performance of the BHCPF. Fifteen NGOs in the dRPC’s anchored and Gates foundation-funded health advocacy project, PAS, worked tirelessly to monitor, track, and document performance gaps in the Fund’s early days.
Suboptimal, late, and ill-timed releases coupled with inefficient and ineffective use of disbursements were identified as some of the challenges to the Fund’s performance. As of August 2022, only N89 billion of the cumulative sum of N638.64 billion allocated between 2019-2022 was released, and only N56 billion or 63% was actually disbursed to 36 states and the FCT. In 2023, N51.64 billion was allocated and N37.00 billion released.
By 2024, however, change seemed to have come to the BHCPF architecture. Under the supervision of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, allocation to the BHCPF in 2024 increased by 143% from ₦52.6 billion in 2023 to ₦125.7 billion in 2024. This upward trend continued in 2025 with N298.42 billion or a 44% increase in allocation over the previous year, 2024. The story of releases in 2025 is also a good one. For the first 5 months of 2025, the release of ₦32.80 is almost as high as the total amount released in 2023, and more than the total amount allocated for the full year of 2020.
Basic Health Care Provision Fund Allocations and Releases 2014-2025
|
Year |
Allocation (₦bn) | Releases (₦bn) |
| 2014 – 2018 | None | No release |
| 2019 | 51.22 | 10.00 |
| 2020 | 26.25 | No releases |
| 2021 | 35.03 | 32.00 |
| 2022 | 44.56 | 56.00 |
| 2023 | 51.64 | 37.91 |
| 2024 | 131.52 | 45.99 |
| 2025 | 298.42 | 32.80 |
| Total | 638.64 |
214.70 |
Sources: State of Health Reports; Budget Office; Official Reports of the FMoH
With increased funding to the BHCPF, PAS NGOs, still active in the space, framed new advocacy messages around the need for decisive action to address the challenge of effective and efficient utilization of funds. The government responded with the launch of the National Health Fellows program to foster sustained improvements within Nigeria’s healthcare system. Response also came with the rollout of the Performance and Financial Management Officers (PFMOs) program. The PFMOs initiative is implemented as part of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative using the SWAp of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. Consistent with the government’s decentralization logic, PFMOs were recruited through a rigorous selection process. They were then taken through a two-day (May 20-21, 2025), 5-module intensive training program. The training was followed by a week of technical tuition on the use of the PFMO Analytics Platform (PAP), a hand-held device for monitoring, checking, tracking, and surveying the whole value chain of funding flows, procurement procedures, processes, human resources, and systems in BHCPF facilities. From 2nd June 2025, PFMOs are expected to be turning up at BHCPF-supported facilities to capture data and evidence as a first step in an innovative blended model of health accountability, supportive supervision, and technical assistance.
For the PAS NGOs, in the trenches monitoring and advocating for accountability and transparency of the BHCPF for more than five years, the new model of the current government presents an opportunity for achieving the goals of the Fund, which they worked to operationalize in 2019. As PAS advocacy CSOs pass on the baton to the new PFMOs, the Project Directors (PDs) met to review experience and offer words of wisdom and encouragement to the PFMOs:
For Gen Obashina Ogunbiyi, mni rtd, PAS, PD, Lagos; Association of the National Institute Alumni, “The PFMO initiative builds on our many years of advocacy for transparency. Stay resilient, leverage community partnerships, and use data to drive impact.”
For Mr. Sarki Zakari, PAS PD, National, the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria: “We commend this forward-looking initiative that has recently been put in place. This change will come with challenges, but it will also support us on the frontline in achieving our desired health outcomes.”
For Hajiya Halima Ben Umar, PD, PAS/ Kano, Women in Media: “Be diligent because transparent systems empower communities to demand quality care and ensure no one is left behind.”
For Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, PAS PD, National, the South Saharan Development Organization, “Your role is important, especially as direct foreign investment funds dwindle; efficiency is needed now more than ever to help transition from donor dependency.”
For Alhaji Baba Shehu, PAS PD, Niger, Centre for Communication and Reproductive Health Services: “PMFOs should remember that accountability in health financing is not just a process, it is the foundation for trust and equity in healthcare delivery.”
Alhaji Mustapha Jumare, PAS PD, Kaduna, Initiative for Integrated Grass Root Empowerment and Support: “For effective services at the PHC level, particularly with the BHCPF…, strong capacity building for the PHC staff and management of PHCs is needed for accountability, transparency. Supervision is essential.”
The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), the Nigerian non-profit which mobilises knowledge on innovations-for-impact and also anchored PAS for 8 years, views this new model of health accountability, supportive supervision and technical assistance as a uniquely Nigerian innovation, with global public health resonance for countries challenged by the need to deliver high quality effective, efficient and responsive primary health services in a context of dwindling public revenue flows.
[DailyTrust]
No fewer than 15 parishes under the Makurdi Catholic Diocese in Benue State have been shut down due to repeated attacks on host communities by suspected armed herders.
The disclosure was made on Sunday by Rev. Fr Joseph Beba, Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, NCDPA, Makurdi Diocese, during a press briefing at the Catholic Cathedral in Makurdi.
Fr Beba said the affected communities, Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana, have witnessed coordinated violence in the past two weeks, resulting in the deaths of over 50 residents, including women and children.
“More than 15 parishes have been shut down because their host communities have been completely displaced. In places like Jimba, Mbalom Yelwata, and Aondoana, both priests and parishioners have fled,” he said.
He alleged that the escalation in violence, particularly in Gwer West Local Government Area, followed the testimony of the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, in the United States and Europe on the persecution of Christians in Benue and Nigeria.
“These attacks are not random. They are a direct response to Bishop Anagbe’s international testimony on the systematic persecution of Christians. The Church is under siege,” Fr Beba declared.
He criticized the Nigerian military for what he described as a lack of response, even when attacks occurred close to their checkpoints.
“We are dismayed by the low energy and response from security forces. The attack on Rev. Fr Solomon Atongo on May 24, 2025, happened just 3km from Naka and less than 500m from an army checkpoint at Tse Orbiam. There was no intervention,” he said.
Fr Beba called on President Bola Tinubu and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia to declare war on the armed herders, noting that Governor Alia had previously identified the attackers as non-Nigerians.
He also urged youths to be vigilant and defend their communities: “The right to self-defence is inalienable. We call on our young people to be ready to defend their faith, their farmlands, and their way of life.”
[DailyPost]
If your JAMB score falls between 140 and 180, don’t lose hope..You still have a strong chance of gaining admission into a Nigerian university. One of the most strategic moves you can make is to take advantage of the JAMB Change of Institution option.
This option allows you to switch from a university with a high cut-off mark to one with a lower or more flexible cut-off. Many federal and state universities accept students through this route and are known for having high acceptance rates for candidates who make them their new choice during the change of institution process.
Here are some top universities with high acceptance rate for change of institution
1. Federal University, Dutse (FUD) – Located in Jigawa State, FUD is known for its transparency in admission processes and accepts students with scores from 140 and above for certain courses.
2. Federal University, Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) – This institution in Kebbi State is one of the most welcoming federal universities for students seeking admission through the change of institution.
3. Kebbi State University of Science and Technology (KSUSTA) – Offers science and technology-focused programs and often considers candidates with JAMB scores from 140 upward.
4. Sokoto State University (SSU) – Known for accommodating change of institution applicants with relatively low JAMB scores.
5. Taraba State University (TSU) – Offers a wide range of courses and is open to students with scores between 140 and 180.
6. Adamawa State University (ADSU) – Located in Mubi, ADSU has a good track record of accepting candidates via the change of institution window.
7. Bauchi State University (BASU) – BASU is a viable option for students with moderate scores and has consistent admission flexibility.
8. Abia State University – A reputable state university that welcomes a high number of transfer and change of institution students annually.
9. Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) – A top choice in the South-South region, AKSU offers quality education and accepts many students through change of institution.
Read Also: JAMB: Another Nmesoma breaks UTME record in Anambra school
10. Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) – Particularly friendly for students in science-related fields with modest JAMB scores.
11. Plateau State University (PLASU) – Based in Bokkos, PLASU offers a wide range of undergraduate programs and is known for being flexible with JAMB scores.
[TheNation]
The All Progressives Grand Alliance has faulted claims by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2025 Anambra governorship election, Nicholas Ukachukwu, that President Bola Tinubu has mandated him to deliver Anambra to the APC.
Ukachukwu, who was hosted to a welcome reception at the Chinua Achebe Airport, Umueri, Anambra State, on Saturday, after his recent visit to President Tinubu, had reportedly made the claims when he told the APC supporters that the President had mandated him to connect Anambra to the centre.
He also used the reception to unveil his running mate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, to his supporters.
He said, “We met with the president in Abuja, and he said to us ‘go and get me Anambra State and connect Anambra to the centre’. That is a mandate, and I want to give you the same mandate to go and gather your people so we can connect Anambra to the centre.
“I and my running mate, Uche Ekwunife, are capable of the task, but we need your support to do it. Take this message to the grassroot. No one should deceive you any longer.”
However, reacting to the development in a press statement released on Sunday, the National Coordinator, APGA Media Warriors Forum, Chinedu Obigwe, said Tinubu never gave such mandate, insisting that Ukachukwu is not the spokesman of the President and not in a position to relay the President’s message to Nigerians.
Obigwe said, “delivering Anambra” to the APC is an impossible mission that cannot be accomplished by Ukachukwu because the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo will defeat him by a wide margin during the election on November 8, 2025.
The statement read in part, “Ukachukwu is still floating on the murky waters of Anambra politics and that he will continue floating until after the declaration of Soludo as the winner of the November 8, 2025 governorship election.
“To start with, Nicholas Ukachukwu is not the spokesman of President Tinubu, and in that regard, he is not in a position to relay President Tinubu’s message to Nigerians. The person that has the right to do that is Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on media to the President and others that are media aides to the President.
“Ukachukwu should have been plain in telling Anambra people that he is eyeing the job of Bayo Onanuga and Daniel Bwala. Another thing is that what Ukachukwu is claiming that the President told him to do is a herculean task.
“He was unable to deliver himself in Anambra South Senatorial election when he contested against the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in 2023 and that is to say that mandating him to deliver Anambra to APC is sending him on an impossible mission.
“So, even if the President told him to deliver Anambra to APC, he is sending him for an impossible mission.
“Soludo will defeat Ukachukwu with a wide margin on November 8, and Anambra electorates will resist Ukachukwu’s rigging plot with the last drop of their blood.”
According to him, Anambra electorates will vote for Soludo and defend their vote for the governor to continue transforming the state to the envy of other States in Nigeria.
“With Soludo, Anambra is already aligned to the centre, and that is to say Ukachukwu talking about aligning Anambra to the centre is tantamount to him beating around the bush.
“When President Tinubu visited Anambra, he approved all the requests made by Soludo for the betterment of Anambra State, and that is evidence to show that Soludo is enjoying a good working relationship with the President administration.
“The President in his message to Anambra people attested to the undeniable fact that Anambra is rising under the able leadership of Governor Soludo that is his friend. As long as the forthcoming November 8 governorship election is concerned, there is no vacancy in Anambra State. It is Governor Soludo for Governor till March 17, 2030, or nothing,” the statement added.
[Punch]
Tanzanian superstar, Diamond Platnumz has married his record label singer and long-time lover, Zuchu in a private traditional Islamic ceremony.
The couple were dressed in white Muslim attire for the low-key ceremony that took place on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
Saudi authorities have prevented more than 269,000 individuals without official permits from entering Mecca ahead of this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, officials announced on Sunday as reported by AlArabiya and AP.
The move came as part of a broader effort to control overcrowding and ensure safety during the annual Islamic ritual.
The Interior Ministry stated that the measure targets both foreign nationals and Saudi residents attempting to perform Hajj without authorisation.
Fines of up to $5,000 and possible deportation have been imposed on violators.
In addition, authorities have penalised over 23,000 residents for breaking Hajj regulations and revoked the licences of 400 Hajj service providers.
At a press conference in Mecca, officials said they had stopped 269,678 people without permits from entering the city.
According to the rules, only those with permits are allowed to perform the pilgrimage, even if they live in the city year-round.
Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Omari told the media, “The pilgrim is in our sight, and anyone who disobeys is in our hands.”
The strict enforcement came amid growing concerns about the impact of unauthorised pilgrims on public safety.
Last year, many of those who died during extreme summer heat were found to be unregistered participants, according to government sources.
Currently, approximately 1.4 million pilgrims with permits are in Mecca, with more expected to arrive in the coming days.
In a sign of increased surveillance and technological intervention, Saudi Civil Defence has deployed drones for the first time during the Hajj.
These drones will assist in crowd monitoring, surveillance, and even firefighting, officials said.
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey at least once in their lifetime.
This year’s pilgrimage is being held under high temperatures, raising further concerns for health and safety.
More...
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Nyesom Wike has hit back at his political critics, particularly those seeking his expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he has not seen anyone who will nullify his membership.
The minister made the declaration on Monday in Abuja during a media parley.
He said, “I am still in PDP. I worked hard for the party. I have not seen anybody who will have the guts to tell me, Wike, you are not a member of the party. Who is that? What is his contribution to the party that is more than me?” he queried.
Details later…
[Vanguard]
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called for a more radical approach to tackling digital examination fraud in the country.
JAMB Bulletin reports on Monday that Is-haq Oloyede, the registrar, made this call recently in Abuja.
He described the new trend as not only worrisome and sophisticated but also one that is capable of jeopardising the future of education.
Oloyede said malpractice is adversely affecting learning, research work, and national development in Nigeria.
The registrar said there is a need for urgent action on these new and worrisome discoveries and urged the public not to treat the issue with levity.
While noting that some people, rather than addressing the menace, are dissipating their energies on spreading unhelpful conspiracy theories and hatred, while our future is being jeopardised by this new crop of sophisticated digital fraudsters
“During the 2025 examinations, further high-level malpractices were uncovered, which led to the withdrawal of some results and the arrest of several culprits across the country,” he said.
Oloyede said these include the collusion of certain CBT centres and school proprietors to hack the networks of targeted CBT centres.
He said these hackers gain control of candidates’ computers and remotely submit their responses to the relevant local servers of the compromised centres.
Other high-tech digital fraud, Oloyede said, included AI-enabled photo blending of candidates with those of their impersonators, many of whom are current undergraduate students.
He said they also include registration with combined fingerprints through the combination of fingerprints from multiple persons for a single candidate’s registration.
He cited the extension of local area networks from some dubious centres to remote “strong rooms” as well as the pairing of candidates with professional mercenaries to gain access to the examination hall.
The JAMB registrar, while lamenting that many undergraduates were found to be involved in this practice, disclosed that over 3000 candidates have been identified as either accomplices or beneficiaries.
On May 27, the federal government ordered a crackdown on examination miracle centres, with a ban of three years for erring candidates.
The Labour Party National Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Nenadi Usman, has accused the Presidency and LP factional chairman, Julius Abure, of orchestrating the ongoing crisis within the party.
The Usman-led committee is backed by former LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
The committee alleged that both Abure and key figures within the Presidency were working to destabilise the LP and weaken Obi’s 2027 presidential prospects.
The party remains divided as the 2027 election approaches, with internal strife threatening to erode the unity it enjoyed during the 2023 polls.
Despite recent defections of prominent LP members to the All Progressives Congress, the Usman committee insisted that Obi remained the strongest contender and would triumph in the next general election.
The spokesman for the caretaker committee, Tony Akeni, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, refuted a statement from the Presidency dismissing Obi’s chances in 2027.
In a recent television interview, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Daniel Bwala, claimed that several of Obi’s close associates had either joined the APC or were in advanced talks.
“Governors are joining us on their own. Some key handlers of Peter Obi from the last election have also come on board.
“One of his media spokesmen is already in discussions. They see our direction is right, and we’re building a national consensus,” Bwala said.
Akeni, however, dismissed these comments, alleging that the defections were the result of a covert alliance between Abure and the ruling APC.
“We are aware of a well-coordinated espionage mission aimed at crippling the Labour Party from within ahead of the 2027 general elections,” Akeni stated.
“They plan to entice Obi’s high-ranking allies—campaign directors, media aides, and trusted associates—to defect.
“The goal is to demoralise Obi, derail the Obidient movement, and diminish the LP’s 2027 prospects,” he said.
Akeni added that regardless of the defections, Obi’s political destiny remained intact.
“No matter how many fall for the ruling party’s schemes, Peter Obi will still emerge as Nigeria’s most transparently elected president in 2027.
“Those defecting to the ‘food-is-ready’ camp of the APC will wear the badge of shame when Nigerians rise to reclaim their country through the Labour Party,” he warned.
The caretaker committee also expressed concern that Abure continued to parade himself as LP’s national chairman despite the Supreme Court ruling, which it claimed invalidated his leadership.
In response, the Abure-led faction dismissed the allegations as baseless.
In a phone interview with The PUNCH, factional LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, accused Usman and her allies of plotting to destabilise the party.
“It’s laughable that Nenadi Usman, who once tried to hand over the party to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s Social Democratic Party, is making such claims,” Ifoh said.
“Even Akeni and others are likely on their way to the APC. We see the signs and encourage them to make their move now so we can rebuild our party without distractions,” he added.
Ifoh also alleged that Usman and her group had promised to transfer the LP structure to another party.
“She said it on live TV—everyone saw it. These people are bent on tearing the party apart.
“But they forget that neither Abure nor Ifoh is contesting in 2027. They are. Let’s see how they intend to win while setting fire to their political platform,” he added.
Blame Obi for your woes, APC kicks
Reacting, the APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, warned Otti’s camp to leave the ruling party out of their leadership mess.
Arodiogbu argued that the blame for the LP crisis should instead be directed to Obi, who he claimed had failed in his responsibility to unite the opposition party.
He said, “It is the comment of a failed father in a family. You know the role of a father is to create harmony and set a direction. But when he fails in his duty, he will blame other families for his woes.
“That is what LP is doing. It is called the blame game. They can blame the APC for all they care.
“The person they should blame instead is Peter Obi. He does not have the capacity to build. Instead, he will allow any platform he uses to scatter so he can find people to blame for his failures.
“Otherwise, after a party has lost an election, the responsibility falls on him to hold the party together and create unity. He failed to do so. Obi couldn’t consolidate his success ahead of the next election.”
Kano State Government has directed all primary and post primary schools in the state to proceed for the Eid-el-Kabir break from 4th to 15th and 16th June, 2025.
A statement signed by the Director Public Enlightenment Ministry of Education, Balarabe Kiru, directed parents and guardians of students in boarding schools to pick up their wards by the early hours of Wednesday, 4th June, 2025 to resume on Sunday June 15th, 2025.
Kiru also said all other aspects of the 2024/2025 school academic calendar, including the stipulated public holidays remained valid.
While thanking parents and guardians for their support to the ministry, Kiru quoted the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Ali Makoda to have urged them to ensure their children comply with the resumption date.
“I want to use this opportunity to appreciate the usual support and cooperation given to the Ministry by the good people of the state and also wish the students and pupils a successful Sallah break,” the statement read.