Three candidates scored 367 during the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and by that emerged as the highest scorers for the examination.

This was revealed at the ongoing 2024 policy meeting by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Thursday in Abuja.

JAMB identified the names as: Olowu Joseph from Ondo State, Alayande David from Oyo State, and Orukpe Joel from Edo State.

In 2023, Umeh Nkechinyere emerged as the highest scorer with a 360 aggregate score.

JAMB had earlier said it won’t announce the 2024 highest scorer to avoid a repeat of the “Mmesoma matter.

Recall that Ejikeme Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student, claimed to score 362 as against her actual score of 249 in the 2023 UTME JAMB portal.

“It is common knowledge that the Board has, at various fora, restated its unwillingness to publish the names of its best-performing candidates, as it considers its UTME as only a ranking examination on account of the other parameters that would constitute what would later be considered the minimum admissible score for candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions,” Oloyede said.

Highly-rated former UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman has opened up on his retirement plans after losing his last three bouts.

Usman has been struggling for form and consistency. He has been out of action since losing to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in 2023.

He has, however, expressed his desire to return to the welterweight division, but open to opportunities in the middleweight division.

Usman said: “It’s an interesting sport. I’ve never been in a sport like this. For me, I made my career being a welterweight…. But, for the right fight, the middleweight makes sense,

He admitted that he is edging towards the end of his career and he wants to finish strongly.

He said, ” know I’m at the tail end, let me finish the career the right way and then decide what else I want to do. So, I’m just getting healthy right now… Oh yes, (I’ll face one of them next).”

The 37-year-old made his UFC debut in 2015 and went on to win his first nine bouts in the promotion and a welterweight title against Tyron Woodley in 2019.

He defeated numerous high-profile fighters like Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Gilbert Burns to defend his title.

The Nigerian nightmare’s reign ended in 2022 when he suffered a knockout loss to Leon Edwards.

He also lost the rematch against the same opponent in 2023 before suffering another loss in his debut in the middleweight category against Chimaev.

Usman holds the record for most wins in UFC welterweight history and has established himself as one of the best fighters of his generation

He became the NCAA Division II national champion at 174 pounds in 2010, finishing the season with a 44–1 record and 30 straight wins.

Stakeholders currently participating at the 2024 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting were rattled when the Minister of Education, Prof Mamman Tahir, announced that candidates seeking admission into higher institutions must be 18 and above.

Immediately after the Minister made the comment in his address and policy directive, the crowd roared “no, no, no” but Tahir insisted that it is already a policy which the government has keyed into because it is the expectation that candidates are much more mature at 18 years old.

He said if anyone was aggrieved, they can approach the National Assembly for an amendment.

The JAMB policy meeting is an annual event where stakeholders from the various tertiary institutions in the country sit to decide on appropriate cut-off marks for admissions in the current academic year.

Recall that Mamman had previously condemned a situation where students find themselves in higher institutions of learning, but fall prey to negative vices because of their premature stage.

Details later…

Nigerian aviation expert and youth activist, Isaac Balami, has dumped the Labour Party, LP, and returned to his former party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Balami, a former National Deputy Campaign Manager for Obi/Datti in the 2023 presidential election, made this known on Wednesday while addressing journalists in Abuja.

Balami, who dumped the ruling party in 2023 over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of President Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima, said the president’s administration has proved him wrong.

He said the Muslim-Muslim ticket was the major crux of crossing to the Labour Party, but he has now seen that it actually means nothing.

The former National President for Aircraft Pilots and Engineers said, “No president has ever worked with the Middle Belt like President Bola Tinubu,” he highlighted areas where the administration has done well, including appointing credible Nigerians with more emphasis on equity.

Balami said: “That was not what I saw when I left. I now see a better party and a better government. I can see a Nigeria that, in a few years, will thrive and I think it is only important for us to work with APC in its effort to rescue this country.

“Consequently, after consulting widely with leaders across Nigeria, the middle-belt caucus, my parents and my immediate family, it becomes expedient that I resign from the Labour Party. I will now return to the APC.”

A 40-year-old lawyer, Abayomi Oladire, has been reportedly stabbed by his client’s husband, Kunle Kuteyi, for assisting his wife to file a divorce suit against him.

The lawyer was stabbed in various parts of his body with a broken bottle by the suspect who accosted him while on his way to his sister’s baby naming ceremony in Ondo West Local Council of Ondo State.

According to sources in the area, Kuteyi had accused Oladire of allegedly having an affair with his wife to the extent of helping her file for divorce against him.

A resident in the area, who gave his name as Seyi, stated that after the suspect fled the scene of the crime, the victim, who was bleeding profusely, was rescued by sympathisers who took him to the hospital for treatment.

He said: “We saw the two standing together, and later the suspect hugged the victim and pushed him away. The next thing we saw was the suspect bringing out a broken bottle and starting to stab the victim.”

While recounting what happened, the victim said: “The wife of the suspect brought a judgement to me and said her husband was ordered to pay N2 million by the court to a complainant in a case instituted against them. After going through the judgement, I observed that both the husband and wife were asked to pay N2 million each, and I explained this to her.

“She went to the complainant’s lawyer and paid the said amount. Then, she later asked me to prepare divorce papers because her husband had lied to her about the case. When I prepared the divorce papers, she later came back to me, that she was no longer interested because her husband’s family had intervened and begged her to forgive him.

“I told her that I would inform the judge on the next adjournment date. On the day of the incident, I was going to my sister’s baby naming ceremony when I saw the suspect. He said he had been looking for me because I prepared divorce papers for his wife.

“He accused me of dating her and of preparing a divorce letter for her. But I explained to him that his wife had told me she was no longer interested in the divorce and that we were going to withdraw the case on the next adjournment date.

“The suspect hugged me and bit me on the jaw, then brought out a broken bottle and started stabbing me. All I could do was guard myself to prevent him from stabbing me in the neck or other dangerous parts of my body.

“In the course of performing my legal duty by preparing a divorce for his wife, the suspect attempted to kill me by stabbing me viciously. He is walking freely in the town, and all the police stations in Ondo can’t arrest him.”

When contacted, the police command disclosed that the suspect is on the run but will soon be apprehended.

Edo State Police Command has narrated how a 17-year-old, Arthur Angel Jr. killed his 70-year-old father, Arthur Judah Angel over some money expected from Amnesty International.

DAILY POST reports that the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, who spoke to newsmen in Benin City, said the suspect had severally threatened to kill his father on the ground that his father was expecting some money from Amnesty International.

Nwabuzor said the suspect who had since been arrested, killed the deceased with a sledge-hammer and buried him in a shallow grave behind his house. 

According to him, “on the 15th of July, 2024, at about 09.00 hours, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ugboha division in Edo State received a complaint that one Arthur Angel Jr. (17 years) brought a complaint of a shallow grave discovery at the backyard of the compound where he lived with the deceased.

“Immediately, the DPO mobilized his men and they moved out to the scene. On getting there, they saw a shallow grave and decided to exhume the body.

“When the body was exhumed, they discovered that it was the lifeless body of Arthur Angel, 70, and at a close look, they saw a sharp injury on the back of the deceased head, and the body was taken to Uromi Hospital mortuary.

“The DPO said that preliminary investigation revealed that Arthur Angel Jr. had severally threatened to kill his father on the ground that his father was expecting some money from Amnesty International.

“The suspect had a feeling that the money had been paid to the deceased and decided to use the sledge-hammer to hit him behind the head while he was asleep.”

He said the suspect has been transferred from Ugboha to the homicide section of the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

He said the incident happened at Ugboha community in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.

Until his death, Arthur Judah Angel was an anti-death penalty advocate, and a human rights defender, who used his foundation, Life Wire International Foundation, to fight against the death penalty in the country.

He was said to have travelled to over 15 countries to speak out against the death penalty through his art exhibitions and drawings

Nigerian actress Ini Dima-Okojie has opened up about her struggles with fibroid tumors.

In a video shared on Instagram, she revealed that despite undergoing invasive surgery in 2020, the condition had re-surfaced.

The ‘Blood Sisters’ actress explained that instead of opting for another surgery, she chose a holistic approach to manage the symptoms. 

“My Fibroid Journey! I never imagined I’d be sharing this again after my last update on 30/12/2020, but here I am.

“My journey with fibroids isn’t over. recently learned they’ve returned. I’ll let you listen to the details in the video,” Ini Dima wrote.

Ini Dima-Okojie also expressed her determination to raise awareness about fibroids and support other women going through similar experiences.

She further revealed her plans to sponsor scans for 20 women who are dealing with fibroids.

“I will be sponsoring scans for 20 women. If you know someone dealing with fibroids who could benefit from this, please share this with them,” she said.

Caroline Hutchings, the Scottish-Nigerian actress, has spoken up on her life after divorce from her ex-husband, Musa Danjuma.

The actress in a lengthy post on her Instagram page on Wednesday, stated that she lost her identity and dreams after divorce.

Recounting her experience, she explained how the split prompted her to start life from scratch because she faced discrimination and rejections.

“I was once a promising makeup artist and hair guru, actress, film producer and fashion consultant. CEO Luxury Addict, CEO Kinetic Media. But I lost my identity and dreams because of divorce.

“I walked away from it all for my own sanity. I started my journey from scratch facing all the fake rumors, discriminations, rejections and uncertainties at 29+ years.

“A conversation that women who have walked the same part hate to talk about. A bittersweet journey to a place unknown. This is my story,” she wrote.

Recall that Caroline got married to Musa in 2007, and announced their divorce in 2016 after spending nine years together.

Folarin Falana, the famous Nigerian rapper, who is also known as Falz the Bahd Guy, has opened up about his relationship with singer, Simi.

Recall that Simi and Falz sparked dating rumours after releasing a joint EP titled, ‘Chemistry’ in 2016. 

Speaking in a recent interview with Hip TV, Falz stated that what they had wasn’t beyond a sonic relationship.

He recalled how he reached out to Simi after hearing her breakthrough song ‘Jamb Question’ and her their musical chemistry inspired more future collaborations.

“I met Simi 2013 or 2014. I reached out to her first time I heard ‘Jamb Question’ to let her know I’ve written a verse for the remix that we’ve not yet discussed,” he recalled.

“And we went on to do it, shot the video and from then onwards, every other track was so natural. She’s family, we really really clicked musically and we just had to really explore that. It was beautiful.”

Falz was recently featured in ‘Borrow Me Your Baby’ off Simi’s latest album, ‘Lost And Found.’

Simi’s marriage to her secret lover, singer, Adekunle Gold, on January 9, 2019, shut the rumours of her alleged affairs with Falz.

In 2020, the couple welcomed their first child, Adejare.